WARE -- Dr. Paul Gerstein, emergency department physician on staff at Baystate Mary Lane Hospital, has some tips to avoid getting bit by the deer tick, the tiny parasite, particularly active in the summer months, that is "the primary transmitting agent of Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and babesiosis." Deer ticks become carriers of such pathogens when they feed on infected animals, like mice.
Statewide, reported and probable cases of the disease in the state, increased by 19 percent, in 2012, from 2011, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, quoted in release from the hospital.
"If you will be outdoors in or near a grassy or wooded area, or gardening in the vicinity of a bird feeder (that can attract mice which can carry Lyme disease bacterium), wear long sleeves and long pants," Gerstein said in the release. "Tuck your pant legs into your socks to keep ticks from crawling up along exposed skin. Light colored clothing will show the dark colored, tiny deer ticks more clearly if they are on your clothing>"
He also said applying "repellents that contain 20 percent, or more DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), on the exposed skin can offer protection that lasts up to several hours."
"Parents should apply this product to their children, avoiding hands, eyes, and mouth," he added. "Once indoors, take a prompt shower to wash off ticks that have not yet attached. You should scan your body for what appears to be a small black dot that feels like a scab, if attached. While checking for ticks, pay special attention to the areas that they prefer to hide, like the back of the neck, the hair line, the armpits, the upper back, the groin, behind the ears and behind the knees. Examine gear and pets. Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine them."
He added, "If you do find a tick, there is no need for panic. By removing a tick in the first 24 to 48 hours after attachment, you reduce your risk of infection to almost zero."
Using tweezers, grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible, and pull it directly straight out. After removal, watch the area of the bite for a gradually expanding circular or oval red rash. No further treatment is usually necessary.
"In the case of a tick bite, watch for early symptoms of tick-borne disease," Gerstein said. "These include headaches, lethargy, fever, chills, muscle and joint aches, a stiff neck, and most importantly an expanding, circular or oval area of redness at least 1 to 2 inches in diameter around the area of the bite. Small areas of redness around a tick bite are common and not an indication of Lyme disease if they do not expand."
In Lyme disease, the rash may appear within 3 to 30 days, typically before the onset of fever. This rash appears in approximately 70 to 80 percen of infected persons and begins at the site of a tick bite. However, the rash may fade before it is noticed in about 50 percent of cases, so it's important to check with your doctor for any flu-like illness in the summer months, even without an apparent rash.
According toGerstein, Lyme disease in its early phases is easily treated and completely cured by a two week oral antibiotic treatment. Single dose antibiotic preventative treatment (prophylaxis) is available for older children and adults immediately after a tick bite, with greater than 24 to 48 hours skin attachment, but without any rash or symptoms of Lyme Disease. A trip to the doctor's office or local emergency department is warranted for prolonged deer tick attachment or any signs of illness to enable prompt treatment.