Tick ​​season is still here, what you need to know to avoid bites, prevent Lyme disease

(WJW) – We are well into tick season and the tick population is expected to increase this year.

But there are many ways to avoid being bitten by ticks, which carry Lyme disease. And if you are bitten, there are ways to cure it and prevent the serious effects of the disease.

When is tick season?

The spring months mark the start of tick season. The most tick-prone months are March through June, with Lyme disease cases peaking typically in June and July.

“All the ticks that hide under leaf litter and snow are looking for a host. So we have a spring combination of many types of active ticks, ”said Nicole Chinnici, lab director at East Stroudsburg University Tick Diagnostic Testing.

This year, the tick population is expected to increase due to a mild winter and early spring as well as heavy rainfall.

In addition, people who have gone outside because of the coronavirus pandemic are more likely to encounter insects.

How is Lyme disease spread?

The Ohio Department of Health reports that there are about a dozen species of ticks in Ohio. But the most are only associated with animals.

Lyme disease is transmitted by blacklegged ticks, or deer ticks, in the northeastern United States and the U.S. Midwest, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The western blacklegged tick transmits the disease along the Pacific coast.

Lyme disease caused by infection with bacteria transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected tick.

Dr Amy Edwards, a pediatric infectious disease physician at UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, said it most often occurs after a tick has engulfed its host’s blood for more than two days.

The tick becomes so engorged that it vomits the contents of its stomach into the bite, transmitting the disease. The disease can be transmitted in other situations, but it’s the most common, Edwards said.

Can ticks cause other illnesses?

Although Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the United States, it is by far not the only one.

Some others listed by the CDC include babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, anaplasmosis, rashes associated with southern ticks, tick relapsing fever, and tularemia.

Prevent tick bites

Health experts say that if you spend time outdoors, it’s important to look closely for ticks, as insects can be incredibly small, sometimes the size of a pinhead.

University hospitals report that they prefer to live in wooded areas, low-growing grasslands and courtyards.

Additionally, experts suggest wearing light-colored clothing to make it easier to spot ticks and applying insect repellant that contains DEET.

What if you get little?

It is important that if you find a tick, it is removed quickly.

Edwards said most people infected with Lyme disease bacteria never show symptoms. But if they do, the most common is a red rash that appears several days after infection. If the rash goes away, it could also come back a second time.

Other symptoms that might appear include headache, body aches, and a mild fever.

Edwards said those who get bitten or suspect they have been bitten should watch themselves for the rash and other symptoms. If they show any symptoms, they should contact their doctor as soon as possible for antibiotic treatment.

UH Reports many people with Lyme disease are diagnosed early and cured with their first treatment. If left untreated, many will heal on their own and will not develop complications.

But if left untreated, complications can include chronic and debilitating conditions.

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