IDPH Warns Public to Avoid Tick
Bites as Summer Season Gets Underway
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[June 16, 2022]
With the Summer Season getting into full swing, the
Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is reminding all
Illinoisans to take precautions against tick bites to prevent
contracting illnesses such as Lyme disease, spotted fever group
rickettsiosis, tularemia, ehrlichiosis, and babesiosis.
To avoid tick bites, people should conduct a thorough tick-check for
themselves, their children and their pets after spending time in
areas ticks are known to inhabit, such as in and near wooded areas,
tall grass, and brush. Removing ticks within a 24-hour period
reduces the risk of potential disease transmission.
IDPH has an agreement with the Illinois Natural History Survey
Medical Entomology Laboratory (INHS MEL) to conduct active tick
surveillance across the State. Ticks are collected and tested by the
INHS MEL. The results are displayed on an interactive Tick
Surveillance Map that documents the counties in Illinois where the
different tick species have been confirmed and the types of
pathogens present in those ticks.
Public health officials offer the following additional tips for how
to avoid tickborne illnesses and have a healthy time in the
outdoors:
• Learn about tick removal and symptom awareness (IDPH website).
• Walk in the center of trails. Avoid wooded, bushy areas with high
grass and leaf litter.
• Wear light-colored clothing to make ticks easier to find. Tuck
long pants into socks and boots.
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• Apply an EPA-registered insect repellent containing 20% DEET,
picaridin, IR3535, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus according to label directions.
• Conduct full-body tick checks on family members (underarms, ears, belly
button, behind knees, between legs, waist, hair and scalp) every two to three
hours. Also check any gear or pets taken on outings.
• Put your clothes in the dryer on high heat for 10 minutes (or
one hour for damp clothes) to kill ticks.
• Bathe or shower within two hours after coming indoors.
• If you find a tick on yourself, it is often helpful to keep the tick for
species identification. Place the tick in rubbing alcohol or in a sealed
bag/container to bring to your healthcare provider, or you can submit the tick
sample, or photos of ticks, to the INHS MEL for identification. Submission
information can be found on the INHS MEL website.
If you become ill with fever and/or rash after being in an area where ticks may
have been, contact your health care provider. Some tick-borne illnesses can be
life-threatening. For example, if untreated Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever may
cause death as quickly as five days after symptom onset.
For more information on Lyme disease and tick prevention please visit the IDPH
website.
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