MDC offers tips for avoiding tick-borne illnesses

A few simple precautions can dramatically reduce the potential for infection.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Summertime is hunting, fishing, camping, and hiking time. It also is

Avoiding tick bites is the key to avoiding tick-borne illnesses,
 such as Lyme disease.

tick time, and the Missouri Department of Conservation reminds those visiting conservation areas to take time to prevent tick bites.

Ticks can transmit diseases, including ehrlichiosis, tularemia, anaplasmosis, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI). The risk of contracting these illnesses is small but serious, so it is worth taking a few simple precautions to avoid them.

Protective clothing is the first line of defense against ticks. When outdoors, wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and boots with pants tucked into socks or boots. Rubber bands, blousing bands, or tape can be used to secure the cuffs of your pants.

Once indoors, conduct a thorough tick check and shower as soon as possible to remove any unattached ticks. Tumble clothes in a dryer on high heat to kill remaining ticks before washing your clothing.

Insect repellents also reduce the risk of being bitten. Products containing DEET are most effective. Apply DEET-based repellent on exposed skin and clothing. Use a product with at least a 20-percent concentration. Lower concentrations do not repel lone-star ticks, Missouri’s most common ticks. Essential oils and natural products are not registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for tick repellency. Be sure to follow label instructions to ensure safety and best results.

Products containing permethrin can be applied to clothing and equipment but not directly to skin. Garments must be allowed to dry thoroughly before wearing. These products kill ticks rather than merely repelling them. Again, be sure to follow label directions.

Most tick-transmitted diseases are not transferred to the host until the tick has been feeding for some time. The earlier the tick is located and removed, the less the chance of being infected with a tick-borne disease. When you are active outdoors, never allow more than a few hours to pass without a tick inspection.

Remove any attached ticks immediately. Proper removal is important, because improper removal can increase the likelihood of infection. Follow these steps to remove a tick that is already attached.

• Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin's surface as possible. If you use your fingers, cover them with tissue or rubber gloves. Use only as much pressure as necessary to avoid forcing the tick’s stomach contents into the bite.
• Remove the tick with a firm outward movement. Never jerk or twist the tick when removing it.
• After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.

Watch for symptoms of tick-borne disease in the days and weeks following a tick bite. These include any unusual rash and unexplained flu-like symptoms, including fever, severe headaches, body aches, and dizziness.

Symptoms of tick-borne diseases often are mild, but they should not be ignored. If you know you’ve been bitten by a tick and any of the above symptoms appear, consult a doctor and mention the recent tick bite.Prompt treatment with antibiotics can prevent serious illness or even death.

For more information about tick-borne diseases, visit cdc.gov/ticks/resources/Hunterfactsheet.pdf andcdc.gov/ticks/diseases/.

Mountain Lions and Bears not your biggest outdoor threat in Missouri

These black-legged ticks, Ixodes scapularis, are found on a wide range of hosts including mammals, birds and reptiles. Black-legged ticks, I. scapularis are known to transmit Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, to humans and animals during feeding, when they insert their mouth parts into the skin of a host, and slowly take in the nutrient-rich host blood. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We write a fair amount about sightings of mountain lions and bears and some people get worried about one that might be crouched right behind the fence in their backyard.  That's pretty unlikely, but one critter I can just about guarantee is out there and waiting to cause mayhem is the good old tick.

Recently, the Missouri Department of Conservation released a statement urging outdoorsmen and women to exercise caution with regard to tick-born disease, and particularly so with regard to lyme disease.  It seems like we have noticed an increase in the number of ticks the last couple of years -could this be from warmer winters? A wet spring this year?

According to Jim Low of the MDC, the diseases that ticks carry in Missouri include ehrlichiosis, tularemia, anaplasmosis, southern tick-associated rash illness, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Lyme or Lyme-like disease.  He goes on to say, "left untreated, these diseases can be fatal. Even with timely medical treatment, they can cause long-term problems that include persistent pain, fatigue, impaired mental function, and unexplained numbness."

None of these symptoms are ones that we would wish to encounter!

Precautions for preventing tick exposure are pretty standard.  They include wearing light colored clothing, wearing long pants and long sleeved shirts in the woods, tucking pant legs into boot-socks, using minimum 20% DEET repellant, and doing thorough tick checks upon coming out of the woods.  I have also noticed that Mr. Low and the MDC have been suggesting putting your clothes in the drier for one hour on high heat when you get out of them as this will kill off ticks still on you.  I am doubtful that many folks are using that suggestion.  Finally, take a shower after you get in.  You're likely dirty and sweaty anyhow, and you will likely wash off any ticks not attached yet and notice any that are.

If you have a tick firmly attached, use tweezers and try to get ahold of the little critter as close to your skin as possible. Remove with an upward movement without twisitng or jerking.  After you remove the tick clean everything including the bite area with rubbing alcohol.  If you begin to notice symptoms of any of the diseases mentioned, see a doctor right away.

Like anything else in the outdoors, a little attention to safety will go along ways.  Follow these steps and your time in the woods should be enjoyable.