Lyme disease on the rise in Tuscarawas County
Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted to humans and animals through the bite of infected ticks.
Tick season is in full force in Tuscarawas County, and the county is seeing increases in suspected and confirmed cases of Lyme disease, according to officials at the Tuscarawas County Health Department.
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted to humans and animals through the bite of infected ticks. Ticks are arachnids, relatives of spiders, which survive by feeding on the blood of animal hosts including humans.
Typical human symptoms of Lyme disease include fever, headache, fatigue and a skin rash that looks like a bull’s-eye. Most cases can be treated with antibiotics, but if left untreated, the infection can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system.
Currently, one out of every 10 dogs tested in Tuscarawas County for Lyme disease returns a positive lab result, and there are probably many more untested cases. Dogs typically exhibit a fever and painful joints when infected. Antibiotics also are used to treat Lyme disease in dogs; however, there is a preventative vaccine.
Preventing tick bites for you and your family:
—Avoid direct contact with ticks.
—Avoid wooded and bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
—Walk in the center of trails.
—Repel ticks.
Use repellents that contain 20-30% DEET on exposed skin and clothing for protection that lasts up to several hours. Always follow product instructions. Parents should apply this product to their children, avoiding their hands, eyes and mouth.
Use products that contain permethrin for clothing. Treat clothing and gear such as boots, pants, socks and tents. It remains protective through several washings. Pretreated clothing is available and remains protective for up to 70 washings.
Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors (preferably within two hours) to wash off and more easily find ticks that are crawling on you.
Conduct a full-body tick check using a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body upon return from tick-infested areas. Parents should check their children for ticks under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist and especially in their hair.
Examine gear and pets. Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine pets, coats and day packs.
Tumble clothes in a dryer on high heat for an hour to kill remaining ticks. (Some research suggests shorter drying times also may be effective, particularly if the clothing is not wet.)
Preventing tick bites on your pets & checking dogs for ticks:
—Check your pets for ticks daily, especially after they spend time outdoors.
—If you find a tick on your dog, remove it right away.
—Ask your veterinarian to conduct a tick check at each exam.
—Talk to your veterinarian about tick-borne diseases in your area.
—Talk with your veterinarian about using tick preventives on your pet.
—Have your pet vaccinated to prevent Lyme disease.
—Kill ticks on dogs.
A pesticide product that kills ticks is known as an acaricide. Acaricides that can be used on dogs include dusts, impregnated collars, sprays or topical treatments. Some acaricides kill the tick on contact. Others may be absorbed into the bloodstream of a dog and kill ticks that attach and feed.
A repellent product may prevent the tick from coming into contact with an animal at all or have anti-feeding effects once the tick comes into contact with the chemical, thus preventing a bite.
More information can be found at www.tchdnow.org/ticks.html.