Transcript Reduce Your Risk of Tick

Ridgefield Health
Department
Lyme / Tick
Borne Illness
Prevention
Program
The Blacklegged Tick
(Popularly known as the “Deer Tick”)
Adult Female
USDA
Sizes of Blacklegged Ticks
• The nymph is about the
size of a period at the end
of a sentence.
• The adult is about the
size of a capital O
• The engorged tick is
about the size of a large
raisin
(Not actual size )
Blacklegged Tick
(Ixodes scapularis)
ALDF
Photo: Scott Bauer, USDA
Engorged Blacklegged Tick
Engorged Blacklegged Tick
Other species of ticks
American dog tick
 Reddish-brown
 Silver-grey marking on back
NC Dept. of
Natural and
Environmental
Resources
 Moves around vigorously, active
 May cause Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Engorged Dog tick
Blacklegged Tick ----Dog Tick
EPA
AN ENGORGED BLACKLEGGED TICK
(Notice the dark brown dot behind the mouthparts)
IF YOU FIND A TICK ON
YOU, IT IS VERY
IMPORTANT TO TELL AN
ADULT – DO NOT TAKE
THE TICK OUT
YOURSELF!
TICK REMOVAL
• Adults should use fine tipped tweezers.
• Adults should grasp the tick by the mouthparts
as close to the skin as possible.
• They should pull straight back with a slow,
steady force.
• It is important to avoid crushing the tick’s body.
• The area should be washed and disinfected at
the bite site.
• Record the date and location of the tick bite.
• Watch for early symptoms over the next 30
days!
BRING IT TO THE HEALTH
DEPARTMENT!
• They will send the tick away to be
tested
• You will be able to find out if the
tick was carrying any bacteria
ONE TICK – MANY DISEASES
LYME DISEASE
Lyme disease is a
bacterial disease
caused by a
spirochete,
CDC
Borrelia burgdorferi
Early Symptoms usually appear 2
to 30 days after the tick bite
~ Some people get an
expanding red rash –BUT not everyone gets a rash!
~ Flu-like Symptoms
~ Fever
~ Fatigue
~ Headache
~ Muscle aches
~ Joint aches
Lyme Disease
• Examples of rashes seen in patients diagnosed with
Lyme disease
www.cdc.com
http://www.lyme.org
http://healthlinks.washington.edu
Lyme Disease
Examples of rashes seen in patients diagnosed with Lyme disease*
L. Zemel
J. Stratton
S. Luger
A. McDonald
*Photos provided by Pfizer
Lyme Disease
Late symptoms include:
• Nerve damage
• Encephalopathy
(disease of the brain)
• Meningitis symptoms
• Heart abnormalities
• Severe joint pain or
swelling
National Library of Medicine
Did you wonder why there are
so many ticks in our town?
ONE TICK CAN LAY 2000 TO 3000 EGGS!
If we don’t want to
get sick from a tick,
what should your family do
??????
BLAST
Ridgefield Health Department
Lyme Disease Prevention Program
Bathe or Shower within 2 hours
after coming indoors
LOOK ….
What should you look for???
Adult female tick
Look for TICKS and remove with
fine tipped tweezers
Look for RASHES too!!!
Apply repellents
• Some families don’t
want to use repellents
on their skin.
• Instead, they may
choose to use
repellents on their
clothes.
• Some families do
both!
Spray the edges of your yard!
• Some families do not
want to spray their
yards.
• If your family decides
to spray your yard, it
is best to hire a
person that is trained
to do this job safely.
Treat your pets
• Check your pets for
ticks.
• Ask your vet what you
can put on your pet to
repel ticks
• Don’t sleep with your
pet because they may
have ticks on them
BLAST
BE A LYME FIGHTER!
• Everyone in
the family can
help each other
Lyme Disease!
Work Cited
American Lyme Disease Foundation, Inc. 2004. Lyme Disease. Retrieved on
September 21, 2004 from the World Wide Web: http://www.aldf.com
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2004. Lyme Disease. Retrieved on
September 29, 2004 from the World Wide Web: http://www.cdc.gov
Connecticut Department of Health. 2004. Lyme Disease in Connecticut. Retrieved on
September 29, 2004 from the World Wide Web: http://www.dph.state.ct.us
Mylonakis, Elettherios. 2001. When to Suspect and Monitor Babesiosis. Retrieved on
September 8, 2004 from the World Wide Web: http://www.aafp.org
Stafford III, Kirby C. 2000. Tick Bite Prevention. Retrieved on September 21, 2004 from
the World Wide Web: http://www.caes.state.ct.us
Stafford III, Kirby C. 2001. Tick Control. Retrieved on September 29, 2004 from the
World Wide Web: http://www.caes.state.ct.us
Stafford III, Kirby C. 2001. Ticks. Retrieved on September 29, 2004 from the World
Wide Web: http://www.caes.state.ct.us
Stafford III, Kirby C. 2004. Tick Management Handbook. The Connecticut Agricultural
Experiment Station. 8-53 pp.
Taege, Alan. 2003. Tick-Related Infections. Retrieved on September 8, 2004 from the
World Wide Web: http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com