Don't let ticks steal your warm weather joys
April 19, 2024
With tick season just around the corner, the Wyoming Department of Health says simple steps can help residents protect themselves and their families from potentially serious tick-borne illnesses.
Courtney Tillman, an epidemiologist with WDH, said that based on historical records, people with tick bites typically begin seeking medical care in May. Diseases that can be spread by ticks in Wyoming include tularemia, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF), and Colorado Tick Fever (CTF).
Symptoms of tularemia include fever, swollen and painful lymph glands, eye irritation, sore throat, mouth sores, skin ulcers, and diarrhea. Inhaling the bacteria can cause symptoms such as sudden onset of fever, chills, headache, muscle and joint pain, dry cough, progressive weakness, and pneumonia. Early symptoms of RMSF include fever, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, loss of appetite, and severe headache. Signs and symptoms may then appear, such as a rash, abdominal pain, joint pain, and diarrhea. CTF usually causes fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, and sometimes a rash.
“If you have symptoms of a tick-borne disease, seek medical attention if you have been to tick-infested areas, handled live or dead animals, or traveled out of state.” It's important to let your provider know,” says Tillman.
People can be exposed to ticks when walking, playing, or sitting in grassy areas or when handling certain animals.
Here are steps to avoid tick-related illnesses:
- Use an insect repellent that is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency, such as one that contains at least 20% DEET or picaridin.
- Treat outdoor clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin.
- Avoid areas with tall grass. When hiking, stay in the center of the trail.
- When you return from an area where ticks may be infested, shower and look for ticks on yourself and your child and remove any you find.
- To kill dust mites on dry clothes, dry them in the dryer on high heat for 10 minutes after you reach the area where the dust mites are located. If you need to wash your clothes, use hot water.
- Check your pet for ticks. Use tick control products recommended by your veterinarian.
- Handle potentially infected animals, both dead and alive, with care, such as rabbits and rodents.
- When using permethrin and insect repellents, always follow the product instructions.
Tillman said the WDH tularemia, RMSF, and CTF web pages each include a “tick bite assessment” tool that shows the proper way to remove an attached tick and when to seek medical attention after a tick bite. He said that he was explaining the problem.
“Lyme disease is a problem that has received national attention, but it can pose a serious threat in some areas. However, the ticks that spread Lyme disease are not known to live in Wyoming. '' Tillman said.
Information from WDH about tick-borne diseases and other infectious diseases can be found at https://health.wyo.gov/publichealth/infectious-disease-epidemiology-unit/disease/.
