It is extremely important to learn how to prevent tick bites, which could cause Lyme disease, as well as know what to do if you are bitten by a tick.
Lyme disease is a potentially serious disease caused by a bacterium called a spirochete that is transmitted by a deer tick. Deer ticks are black or black and red-orange, and about the size of a sesame seed. If an infected tick bites a human, the person may develop Lyme disease. Early symptoms of Lyme disease may include flu-like symptoms like fatigue, headache and fever, and an expanding rash. If untreated, cardiac and neurologic problems, as well as pain in the joints, may develop.
Protection from ticks is the best way to avoid Lyme disease. The best way to prevent tick bites is to avoid areas where ticks are found, which include woodland areas where deer and mice are living, and grassy and brushy habitat located near the woods. Also included are backyards that are dense with trees and bushes. In addition, wearing light-colored, tightly-woven clothing will make it easier to see the ticks and harder for the ticks to attach. Wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants will reduce the skin area that is exposed to ticks. Residents should also tuck their pant legs into their socks, and tuck shirts into their pants.
Using a spray-on tick repellent (with 20-30% DEET) will also help; however, it is not advisable to spray repellent on the skin of small children, and avoid using it on your head. If you should choose to put it on your head, spray the repellent onto your hands and smooth it onto hair, taking care to avoid the scalp. Always wash off the repellent when you return inside. Frequent tick checks are another step. This includes a visual inspection of the clothing and exposed skin. If you find a tick crawling on you, remove it with your fingers or a pair of tweezers. Finally, when you get inside, remove your clothing, launder it promptly, and leave your shoes by the door.
It is also advisable to do a private examination in front of a mirror after you remove your clothing to make sure there are no ticks attached to your body. If you find one, grasp the tick's mouthparts (as close to the skin as possible) with tweezers, and pull the tick straight out with steady pressure. It is not recommended that you use heat, rubbing alcohol, peroxide, Vaseline or any other means to remove a tick because this can cause the tick to inject fluid containing the spirochete into the person. The last step is to wash your hands and disinfect the tweezers and the bite site. The ticks can be tested for Lyme disease at several different testing sites. If you wish to have the tick tested for Lyme, place the tick in a small vial or zip lock baggie with a cotton ball soaked in plain tap water. The bag should also be labeled with the date and your name and address. The testing site should be contacted for any specific instruction. Most recent numbers available: The State Lab can be reached at (609) 292-5819 (will only test live ticks, $25.00); New Jersey Laboratories (732) 249-0148 (will test live or dead ticks --$60.00); and the County Agricultural Agent (973) 285-8300 (will not test the tick, but will ID it as to whether it is a deer tick or not).
People can be tested as well, but specific tests for the disease are not very accurate and many times a diagnosis must be made based on signs and symptoms of the illness.
Removing leaves and clearing brush and tall grass around your house or yard may reduce the number of ticks that transmit Lyme disease. Removing plants that attract deer and local environmental control of the deer population can also keep the number of ticks down. Spraying or applying acaricides (chemicals that are toxic to ticks) is being done in some areas, but questions remain regarding its effectiveness and environmental safety. If acaricides were to be applied, it should only be to the edges of wooded areas and back into the area approximately ten feet. Lawns and open fields are not areas that are highly infested with ticks, because the ticks cannot survive in the dry grass exposed to the sun. They prefer wet, thick leaves and underbrush.
If you have further questions, please call your private physician or the 24-hour Lyme disease Foundation hotline at 1-800-886-LYME.
Christina Whitaker
Licensing and Records Official