Tick Bites

Ticks can be infected with bacteria, viruses, and parasites and transmit diseases with one solitary bite. Lyme Disease is the most reported tick-borne disease in the United States. In addition to Lyme Disease, tick bites can cause multiple diseases, including babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted Fever, Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness, anaplasmosis, Tick-borne Relapsing Fever, tularemia, and Powassan virus.

Tick Bite Prevention

Prevention of tick exposure prevents transmission of these diseases.

• Learn where ticks live: in the woods; where lawns meet fields; under leaves; in tall brush and grass; in and around stone walls or wood piles; near bird feeders and outside pet areas
• When is these areas, check yourself frequently and thoroughly for ticks.

• Wear light-colored clothes, long sleeves, and long pants. Tuck your pants into socks and shirts into pants.
• Shower soon after returning indoors and put clothes in the dryer for 30 minutes to kill ticks that may be clinging to clothing.
• Be sure to tick-check and protect pets too!

Repellants may be used for skin protection.

• example: Check EPA-registered productscontaining DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone

Products with Permethrin may be used to treat clothing and gear.

• example: Sawyer Products, Inc.- www.sawyer.com or Insect Shield-www.insectshield.com
• permethrin can be used on clothing but not on skin.

Sources

Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

ww.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/outdoor/ DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2010–119

Lyme Disease Association

Lyme & TBD Prevention