Some Tick Talk :
*New Jersey has one of the highest rates of Lyme Disease (tick-borne illnesses).
*All ticks can transmit Lyme Disease (not necessarily limited to deer ticks).
*Increased incidence of Lyme Disease is partially attributed to the population explosion in the rural areas.
*Keep wood and brush away from your house. Stone walls attract small rodents which can also carry ticks. Bird feeders also increase the incidence of ticks.
*Avoid pets on furniture and sleeping with kids. Ticks can travel from your furry animal onto the skin of your family.
*Avoid tick infested areas and sitting directly on the ground. Use EPA approved repellents.
*Frequent tick checks are probably your best protection from tick-borne illnesses.
Removing ticks before they adhere to the skin, prevents the transmission of infection.
*Remember to protect (repellent) and check pets too!
*Teach children to seek adult help for tick removal.
*Squeezing the body of the tick can actually increase the chance of transmitting infectious material into the person who is bit by the tick.
*Improper removal can increase the chances of infectious transmission of tick fluids and thus developing Lyme Disease and related tick-borne illnesses.
Never put substances on the tick such as soap or other substances.
*Use a fine point tweezer and grasp tick mouth parts (place of attachment—as close to the skin as possible). Remove the tick with a steady pull away from the skin. Use a steady pressure and gently pull the tick straight out. Never squeeze, twist, or yank the body of a tick. Never put substances or fluids on the tick.
*If you save the tick for testing, place it in a sealed plastic bag with a moistened (water) cotton ball. If a tick is positive, a course of antibiotics is indicated---see the doctor.
*Some Lyme literate specialists feel that testing ticks may not always be 100% accurate.
*Disinfect tweezers.
*Wash hands thoroughly.
*If discarding tick, wrap in toilet tissue and flush into toilet.
*Don't touch tick with bare hands.
*Clean area of the tick bite with an antiseptic and apply antibiotic ointment.
*Contact your doctor.
*Mark your calendar on the day of the tick removal.
*Be alert that some reports and researchers state that less than 40% of people develop a rash (bulls-eye) after a tick bite.
*Many rashes that do develop after exposure to infectious tick bites may not present as the "classical bulls-eye" rash. You may see a solid red rash – possibly 3" diameter or larger, and may be smaller, too. Consult your medical professional as needed.
*Some people with dark skin may have a "bruise-like" appearance when developing a rash.
*New research supports 6 weeks of antibiotic therapy for Lyme Disease. Other tick- borne illnesses may also be transmitted from one tick bite. They include ehrlichiosis, bartonella, and babesiosis. Ask your doctor about these other diseases. They should be assessed and treated promptly.
*Taking advantage of the "window of opportunity" for treatment of Lyme Disease can mean the difference between wellness and illness and the avoidance of an unknown course of chronic illness.
*It may be advisable to treat tick bites when there is:
a large rash or bulls-eye rashan engorged tick upon removaltick bite in an endemic area with high incidence of lyme and tick-borne illnesshistory of immune-suppressed state of health
If fever or flu-like illness develops within 4 weeks after a known tick bite, consider treatment for Lyme Disease! Alert your healthcare provider....many do NOT get the rash. Flu-like symptoms include fatigue, malaise, achy, fever, headache, swollen glands, achy/stiff/swollen joints, and chills.
Other tick-borne diseases are Babesia, Anaplasmosis, Ehrlichia, and Bartonella. Ask your doctor to check for these other infections that may be transmitted along with Lyme.
Log onto www.lymediseaseassociation.org for more information and other websites.
