Wyoming Health Officials Issue Tick Warning
With warmer weather here, officials with the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) are reminding people about dangers of diseases transmitted by ticks in the state.
Tularemia symptoms include fever, swollen and painful lymph glands, inflamed eyes, sore throat, mouth sores, skin ulcers and diarrhea. If the bacteria are inhaled, symptoms can include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, joint pain, dry cough, weakness, and pneumonia.
Colorado tick fever usually causes fever, headache, muscle aches, joint pain, dry cough, progressive weakness, and pneumonia. RMSF symptoms include vomiting, nausea, fever, muscle pain, lack of an appetite and severe headache.
Two other common tick-related illnesses, Lyme disease and Powassan disease, have so far never been found in Wyoming. Deti says people should take several steps to protect themselves from ticks:
· Wear light-colored clothing to make it easier to see ticks crawling on clothing.
· Tuck pant legs into socks.
· Apply insect repellents such as those containing 20 percent or more DEET and/or picaradin.
· Upon return from potentially tick-infested areas, search yourself and children for ticks and remove if found.
· Check pets for ticks; use tick control products recommended by veterinarians.