How to keep from contracting tick-borne diseases

Ticks are tiny mites, some as small as the head of a pin, that survive by attaching themselves to larger animals, such as deer, dogs and sometimes humans. There is a wide variety of tick species and they are found all over Iowa. The most common in the state are the American dog tick, the Lone Star tick and the black-legged tick, also called the deer tick, according to the Iowa State University (ISU) Extension Service.

Most times humans face little risk from a tick bite; it simply causes a bump on the skin that clears up in a few days. But ticks do have the potential to transmit diseases to people that, if undetected or untreated, can lead to serious and enduring health problems, even death.

The most common disease from a tick bite is Lyme disease, which may cause a local rash that resembles a red bulls-eye or target, along with a fever and flu-like symptoms. Weeks or months after contracting Lyme disease, some patients develop heart or nervous system problems and perhaps even arthritis, according to the University of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory (UHL), that also serves as the public health laboratory for the State of Iowa. The number of Lyme disease cases in Iowa has been rising steadily since 2000. It's hard to know whether there are more cases or whether people are just more aware of it now and are being tested. But we do know it's out there, says Dr. Lucy DesJardin, Public Health Molecular Biologist at UHL.

Bites from ticks may also cause Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a serious illness that can cause high fevers, nausea, rashes and other symptoms. And there are rare cases in which tick bites lead to paralysis or death. Doctors and other medical professionals use antibiotics to treat Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other diseases caused by tick bites. And experts urge people who have been bitten by the tick and are experiencing symptoms to contact a health care provider for advice and treatment.

"With tick-borne disease, what you really need to concentrate on is prevention," says DesJardin. "Once you get a tick, you can be treated, but it's really better to prevent the bite." The majority of people diagnosed with Lyme disease do not recall having been bitten, so it is important to be diligent about protection.

Avoidance is indeed the key because, unlike mosquitoes and many other pests, ticks can't go out looking for you, says Ken Holscher, extension en- tomologist at ISU.

Ticks, he notes, can't fly, can't jump and don't have actual eyes. Instead they basically wait around for a host, like a deer, dog or human, to happen by. "Ticks don't find you, you find ticks. And if you miss contacting a tick by a fraction of an inch, you miss it all together," Holscher explains.

When a tick does locate a host, it does it by sensing either vibrations, odor or carbon dioxide emissions. Then it tries to latch on for the ride.

So how can Iowans avoid coming into contact with ticks? Here are some tips from the Centers for Disease Control:

Dress right: Even though it may be hot outside, it's best to wear long sleeves and long pants to prevent ticks from coming into contact with your skin. It's also important to tuck your pants legs into your socks or boot tops to prevent ticks from crawling up your shoes and socks, and onto your skin. It can also help to wear light-colored clothing, which makes it easier to spot a tick.

Use a repellent: Products that contain 30 percent DEET are effective in repelling ticks. The brand names of some of these products are OFF, Cutter and Muskol. The repellents should be applied to clothing, especially shoes, socks and pants, but not directly to skin.

Avoid tall grasses and shrubby areas: Ticks generally hang out in these areas, waiting for a host. If you are walking on a trail, try to stay close to the center and avoid brushing up against the vegetation. On your own acreage or yard, thin out low shrubs and keep grasses mowed. In addition, it's important to remove that old brush pile out back because it can provide an ideal habitat for ticks.

Check your entire body after you visit a tick-prone area: Conduct a thorough check of yourself, your children and your pets for ticks when you return home. Ticks do not bite or transfer diseases immediately. You are generally safe if you remove a tick within 24 hours of attachment.

Remove a tick as soon as possible: If you detect a tick on your body, or on your child's body, remove it immediately using tweezers. Grasp the tick around its head, close to your skin, and pull it up slowly and firmly with the tweezers. Once the tick is removed, disinfect the area with an antiseptic.

If you think you have been bitten by a tick, monitor the bite site for a rash and yourself for signs and symptoms for 30 days, DesJardin says. A classic response to a bite is the bulls-eye red rash, however, it only develops in a minority of cases, DesJardin says.

It is important to get a blood test to determine if Lyme disease or another condition is present, if you develop rash, fever, muscle or joint pain following exposure, or potential exposure to ticks.

"It's great that people get outside in the summer, but sometimes they forget to take precautions for ticks. But they need to take those precautions because there can be very bad consequences if you don't," DesJardin says.

This article was reprinted with the permission of the Iowa Farm Bureau's "Family Living" magazine.