Avoid ticks and tick-borne illnesses

LAKE CITY, S.C. – Ticks can be found in most of the United States, and many carry serious diseases. Lyme disease is the most frequently reported tick-borne illness in the United States. People become infected with Lyme disease through the bite of a black-legged tick that is infected with the bacteria known as Borella burgdorferi.

Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue and a characteristic skin rash. If left untreated, infection can spread to the joints, heart and nervous system. Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings (e.g. rash) and the possibility of exposure to infected ticks. Laboratory testing is helpful in the later stages of disease. Lyme disease can be treated successfully with a few weeks’ worth of antibiotics.

Reducing exposure to ticks in the best defense against Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. You and your family can take several approaches to preventing and controlling Lyme disease.

Avoid areas with a great deal of ticks, such as wooded and bushy areas with high grass and a great deal of leaf litter. Take extra precaution in May, June and July. This is when ticks that transmit Lyme disease are most active. If you do enter a tick area, walk in the center of a trail to avoid contact in overgrown grass, brush and leaf litters.

Keep ticks off your skin. Use insect repellent with 20 to 30 percent DEET on exposed skin and clothing to prevent tick bites (for children, too). Permethrin, which kills ticks on contact, is another type of repellent that can be purchased at outdoor equipment stores. One application to pants, socks and shoes typically stays effective for several washings. Permethrin should not be applied directly to the skin. Dr. Daniel DeCamps, an avid hunter, says many sporting good stores sell clothes that already contain permethrin.

Wear long pants, long sleeves and long socks to keep ticks off of your skin. Tucking pants legs into socks or boots and tucking shirts into pants help keep ticks on the outside of your clothing. If you will be outside for an extended period, tape the area where your pants and socks meet to prevent ticks from crawling under your clothes.

Light-colored clothing makes ticks easier to identify. Remove ticks from clothing before going inside, and wash your clothes in hot water and dry them using high heat for at least one hour.

Control ticks around your house by using landscaping techniques to create a tick-safe area around homes, porches and recreational areas. Ticks that transmit Lyme disease thrive in humid wooded areas. They die quickly in sunny and dry environments.

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