Summer, spring seasons bring highest risk
Bites from an arachnid as small as a poppy seed are sending people to Emergency Departments in higher numbers than usual across most of the United States.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced in late April that weekly rates of emergency visits for tick bites were at the highest level for that time of year since 2017.
Tick bites can lead to serious diseases, such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and alpha-gal syndrome, also known as red meat allergy.
“With a tick bite, acting swiftly is key to minimizing the risk of the tick transmitting a disease,” said Powers Health Infectious Disease Specialist Dylan Slotar, MD. “If you find a tick attached to you or a loved one, remove it as soon as possible. Seek medical attention at the first sign of sickness.”
Contact your healthcare provider if you are not able to remove the entire tick. If you notice a growing rash – especially one with a bullseye pattern – or if you develop a fever or flu-like symptoms in the days or weeks after a bite, seek immediate medical attention.
About 31 million people in the United States are bitten by a tick each year, according to the CDC. Lyme disease is the most common tickborne disease in the United States, with an estimated 476,000 patients treated each year for Lyme. Cases of tickborne diseases in the U.S. increased 40 percent between 2019 and 2022, according to the CDC.
Ticks detect breath and body odors, and they sense body heat, moisture and vibrations. They rest with legs outstretched on grasses and shrubs, waiting to cling to a passing human or animal. They transmit pathogens that cause disease as they feed, according to the CDC.
Prevention is the best way to avoid turning a trip outdoors into a trip to the Emergency Department.
Here are some tips:
- Avoid walking in tall grass.
- Wear EPA-registered insect repellent and permethrin-treated clothing.
- Do tick checks – especially your scalp, underarms, waistline and groin – after being outdoors.
- Take a shower after your tick check to wash off any that went unnoticed.
- Dry clothes on high heat to kill attached ticks; washing clothing does not kill them.
If you find a tick on your body, use tweezers to grip it and slowly pull to remove it entirely. Take a close-up photo of the tick or secure it on a piece of tape in a sealed container for identification purposes. Ticks are able to survive indoors for up to three weeks on hard surfaces and carpeted floors, according to research reported recently in the Journal of Vector Ecology. It is essential to remain vigilant, in case ticks enter the home by latching on to people or pets.
