 With many families planning outdoor activities this summer, Penobscot Valley Hospital would like to take this opportunity to remind you about Lyme disease. Lyme disease is the most commonly reported illness transmitted to humans by ticks, mosquitoes or fleas. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 30,000 cases of Lyme disease were reported in the United States during 2009. These numbers are growing each year.
While people of all ages can be affected, children are especially at risk because they spend more time outdoors where ticks that spread disease may be found. Since there is currently no vaccine available to prevent tick-borne diseases, early detection and treatment are very important. Most tick-borne illnesses can be successfully treated, but early detection and treatment can prevent more serious illness.
To prevent Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, the CDC recommends that people:
· Avoid areas with high grass and leaf litter.
· Walk in the center of trails when hiking.
· Use repellent that contains 20 percent or more DEET on exposed skin for protection that lasts several hours. Parents should apply repellent to children; the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends products with up to 30 percent DEET for kids. Always follow product instructions!
· Use products that contain permethrin to treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks and tents or look for clothing pre-treated with permethrin.
· Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors to wash off and more easily find crawling ticks before they bite you.
· Conduct a full-body tick check using a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body upon returning from tick-infested areas. Parents should help children check thoroughly for ticks. Remove any ticks right away.
In general, a tick needs to be attached to its host for 36 to 48 hours before it can transmit the Lyme disease bacterium. Early tick removal may reduce the risk of infection of some tick-borne diseases. Follow the CDC’s steps below to safely remove ticks from animals and humans.
1. Use fine-tipped tweezers and protect bare hands with a tissue or gloves to avoid contact with tick fluids.
2. Grab the tick close to the skin. Do not twist or jerk the tick, as this may cause the mouth parts to break off and remain in the skin. Avoid crushing the tick’s body. DO NOT use petroleum jelly, a hot match, nail polish, or other products.
3. Gently pull straight up until all parts of the tick are removed.
4. After removing the tick, wash your hands with soap and water or waterless alcohol-based hand rub. Clean the tick bite with an antiseptic such as iodine scrub, rubbing alcohol, or soap and water.
5. Contact your healthcare provider if you develop fever, headache, fatigue, or rash.
Sherry McCafferty, Infection Prevention Practitioner at PVH adds, “Many people don’t realize that the state offers a free service to identify different types of ticks. This program helps determine the geographical distribution of the deer tick, Ixodes scapularis. The Maine Medical Center Research Institute Vectorborne Laboratory provides this free service where the public can submit ticks for identification. In 2010, their identification service showed a persistent expansion of deer ticks both eastward and northward throughout Maine.”
If you think you may have had a tick bite, watch for these early symptoms of tick-borne diseases including: fever, headache, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, or rash. See your primary care physician if you develop one or more of these symptoms after a tick bite. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system.
To learn more about submitting a tick for identification, visit www.mmcri.org/lyme/submit.html.
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