The Ridgewood Heath Department Reminds You Warm Weather Brings Ticks

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Heath Department and the New Jersey Department of Health remind you that the warm weather brings ticks and Lyme disease. Lyme disease is an illness caused by infection with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi (boar-ELL-ee-uh burg-dorf-ERR-eye). This bacterium is carried by ticks. This infection can cause a variety of symptoms and if left untreated can be severe.

Lyme disease is spread to people by the bite of an infected tick. In New Jersey, the most commonly infected tick is the deer tick (or black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis). Immature ticks become infected by feeding on infected white-footed mice and other small mammals, such as deer and meadow voles. Deer ticks can also spread other tick-borne diseases. Humans can be infected with more than one tick-borne disease at the same time. Lyme disease is not spread from person to person. It is not necessary to avoid someone who is ill with Lyme disease.

Anyone who is bitten by a tick carrying the bacteria can become infected. People who spend a lot of time outdoors in tick-infested areas from April through October are at greatest risk of becoming infected. Proper removal of a tick from the skin within 48 hours of being bitten can reduce the risk of infection.

The early symptoms of Lyme disease may resemble those of various other infectious and non-infectious diseases. The most common symptoms may include a rash that looks like a bull’s-eye (occurs in 60 – 80% of people who become infected), tiredness, fever, headache, stiff neck, muscle aches, joint pain, If untreated, weeks to months later some people may also have arthritis, nervous system problems, heart problems. The red bull’s-eye rash usually appears 7 to 14 days after the tick bite. Some people see their health care provider for the first time with advanced symptoms without having had early signs of the disease.

You can reduce your risk by taking these actions to avoid tick bites, or to safely remove a tick if you are bitten:
• Avoid wooded areas with dense shrubs and leaf litter, where ticks like to hide.
• Make your yard less attractive to ticks by mowing lawns and trimming trees.
• Wear solid, light-colored clothing. This will make it easier to find a tick on your clothes.
• Tuck your pants into your socks and wear a long-sleeved shirt. This will help prevent a tick from attaching to your skin.
• Use insect repellents on yourself and your pets. There are two types of repellents effective for ticks. Repellents that contain DEET can be used on clothing and exposed skin. The other type of repellent contains permethrin and should ONLY be used on clothing. Always read and follow label directions carefully.
• Check yourself for ticks frequently when you are in tick-infested areas. Check again after returning and again before going to bed. Don’t overlook some of ticks’ favorite hiding places – on the scalp, behind the ears, under the arms, on the ankles, and in the groin.
• If you find a tick, remove it immediately before it attaches to the skin. Do not squeeze or crush it with bare hands.
• If a tick has already attached to the skin, use tweezers to grasp it by the head (not just the body) as close to the skin as possible. Pull steadily until the tick pulls out (expect some resistance).
• Never squeeze an attached tick, burn it, or cover it with Vaseline or any other substance. Doing so could force fluid from the tick into your skin.
• After removing a tick, disinfect the bite area and tweezers with alcohol, and wash your hands with soap and hot water.
Place the tick in a sealed container or small plastic bag and put it in the trash. Do not flush ticks down the toilet because they can easily survive in the water.