Avoiding tick-borne disease
Rocky
Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, tularemia, ehrlichiosis
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[May 13, 2013]
SPRINGFIELD -- As the weather
warms up and people spend more time outdoors, it's important to take
precautions against tick bites and the illnesses they can carry,
like Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, tularemia and
ehrlichiosis. Tick-borne diseases can cause mild symptoms, severe
infections requiring hospitalization and even death. Last year in
Illinois, preliminary numbers show 50 cases of ehrlichiosis, four
cases of tularemia, 204 cases of Lyme disease and 151 cases of Rock
Mountain spotted fever, which included one death.
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"Diagnosing tick-borne illness is based largely on the patient's
knowledge that they've been bitten by a tick and the signs and
symptoms of illness," said Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck, director of the
Illinois Department of Public Health. "While antibiotics can treat
illnesses due to tick bites, it's best to avoid tick bites
altogether by taking some simple precautions."
Recommendations to avoid tick bites:
-
Walk in the center
of trails so weeds do not brush against you.
-
Use repellent that
contains 20 to 30 percent DEET on exposed skin. Always follow
product instructions.
-
Use products that
contain permethrin to treat clothing and gear, such as boots,
pants (especially the cuffs), socks and tents. Or look for
clothing pre-treated with permethrin.
-
Tuck long pants
into your socks and boots. Wearing light-colored pants makes
ticks easier to see.
-
In areas where
there are ticks, check yourself, children and other family
members every two to three hours for ticks (especially ears,
hair, neck, legs and between the toes).
-
If you let your pets outdoors, check
them often for ticks. Ticks can "hitch a ride" on your pets, but
fall off in your home before they feed. Tick collars, sprays,
shampoos or monthly "Top Spot" medications help protect against
ticks.
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If you do find a tick on yourself, others or pets, remove it
promptly. The best way to remove a tick is to grasp it with
fine-point tweezers as close to the skin as possible and gently, but
firmly, pull it straight out. Do not twist or jerk the tick. Wash
the bite area and your hands thoroughly with soap and water, and
apply an antiseptic to the bite site.
Within two weeks following a tick bite, if you experience a rash
that looks like a bull's-eye, a rash anywhere on your body or an
unexplained illness accompanied by fever following, call your
doctor. The most common symptoms of tick-related illnesses can
include fever, chills, aches and pains, and rash. Early recognition
and treatment of the infection decreases the risk of serious
complications.
More information about preventing tick bites and disease is
available at
http://www.idph.state.il.us/
envhealth/pccommonticks.htm.
[Text from
Illinois
Department of Public Health news release received from the
Logan County Department of Public
Health]
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