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Board of Health: Lyme Disease
Lyme Disease in Shutesbury? Don't take chances!
Arleen Read, Board of Health
Summer 2002
In Shutesbury and the wider Connecticut River Valley, whether you work outdoors, play outside, garden or just mow your lawn, you should be aware of the potential dangers of tick bites. Lyme disease is a serious illness caused by infection with bacteria carried by the tiny deer tick, and it is the most common tick-borne infection in our area. If a person is infected but untreated, serious heart, nerve or joint problems can ensue, so we should all learn how to protect ourselves and our families.
How is Lyme disease spread?
Very young ticks pick up the Lyme disease bacteria by biting infected animals. Slightly older ticks are the stage most likely to bite and infect humans. The ticks cling to plants near the ground in brushy, wooded or grassy places, and climb onto animals and people who brush up against the plants. Not all ticks carry Lyme disease; not all deer ticks are infected; and even being bitten by an infected tick does not mean you will always get the disease. The tick must usually be attached for at least 24 hours to pass on the bacteria.
What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?
People with early stage Lyme disease may feel tired and achy, and they may have a donut-shaped skin rash within a few days to a few weeks after the bite. They may also have a fever, chills, headache, and swollen glands. Lyme disease can often be hard for a doctor to diagnose, because the rash is not always present, and the other symptoms can mimic those of other illnesses.
What can I do to prevent tick bites?
- Stay out of the tall grass. Stick to main pathways or the center of a trail. Avoid brushing up against grasses and shrubs whenever possible.
- Use clothing as protection. Wear light-colored clothing so that you will be more likely to see a tick if it is climbing on it. Wear long pants, and tuck your pant legs into your socks.
- Consider using repellents. Repellents that contain "DEET" can be very effective, but don't use a concentration higher than 15% on kids, nor a concentration higher than 30% on adults. Another repellent, called permethrin, is very effective, but it can be used on clothing only, and it can't safely be used near kids.
- Check yourself, your children, and your pets daily for ticks. Use your fingertips to feel for tiny bumps on hair and skin. Remember that deer ticks are tiny, so look for any new "freckles" or spots that might be ticks.
- Make your home unfriendly to ticks! Remove extra brush from your yard, clip shrubs that are close to the house, and keep the lawn mowed. Clear away woodpiles, trash, and leaves. This will help keep ticks from coming into the area. Keep kids and pets from playing near stone walls, as small animals that carry ticks may live among these stones.
How do I remove a tick if it's attached?
Use fine-tipped tweezers, or shield your fingers with a tissue, paper towel, or rubber gloves.
- Grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible and pull upward with steady, even pressure. Do not twist or jerk the tick; this may cause the mouthparts to break off and remain in the skin. (If this happens, remove mouthparts with tweezers.)
- Do not squeeze, crush, or puncture the body of the tick because its fluids may contain infectious organisms
- Do not handle the tick with bare hands because infectious agents may enter through mucous membranes or breaks in your skin.
- Note: Don't use petroleum jelly or kerosene/gasoline, and don't try to burn the tick off. These do little to encourage a tick to detach. In fact, they may make matters worse by irritating the tick and stimulating it to release additional saliva, increasing the chances of transmitting the pathogen.
- After removing a tick, thoroughly disinfect the bite site and wash your hands with soap and water.
- Any person who's had a tick bite should monitor her- or himself for the appearance of rash, fever or other symptoms and seek medical evaluation should any signs or symptoms appear.
For more information, you can contact the Shutesbury Board of Health, our town nurse Sheila Dever (both of the above at 259-2122), or your doctor, nurse, or clinic. Hopefully, with a few simple precautions and a little bit of vigilance, we can all continue to enjoy our beautiful environs through a safe and healthy summer!