Summer draws people outdoors. Hiking, camping and other activities spent in nature means potential exposure to ticks – those creepy parasites that feed on the blood of animals and humans.
There are eight different types of ticks that live in the United States and some species can transmit bacteria, viruses and pathogens that can cause diseases in humans. Before hitting the trail, it’s good to know how to protect yourself from ticks and what to do if you have a tick bite.
“If somebody has an embedded tick, they should remove it carefully using thin tweezers, and make sure that the head of the tick is removed,” says Douglas Drevets, M.D., chief of infectious diseases at OU Health in Oklahoma City. He adds that after removing a tick, a topical antibiotic can be used on the bite area.
Many people are fearful of tick bites and most often worry about contracting Lyme disease. However, Drevets says there is very little Lyme disease in Oklahoma and that it’s more common in other parts of the country – the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and upper Midwest areas. For Oklahomans, other infections tend to be more prevalent, such as ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis and rickettsial infections, all caused by various bacteria. It’s also worth noting that not all ticks carry disease, and ticks must remain attached and feed for several days before transmitting pathogens. That’s why if you find a tick on your body, try and recall when and where you might have picked it up to determine how long it’s been attached.
If bitten by a tick, there are services available to have the tick tested for disease. However, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states that, in general, it’s not recommended due to lower quality control of laboratories, potential for false positive and false negative results, and often symptoms may develop before the results of a tick test are available.
The most common species of ticks in Oklahoma include the Lone Star tick, the American Dog tick, Brown Dog tick, Black-Legged tick and Gulf Coast tick. Along with Lyme disease, tick bites are associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever and for triggering alpha-gal syndrome – a potentially life-threatening allergic condition also known as the red meat allergy.
While most tick bites are harmless, seek medical attention if you experience any of the following symptoms in the weeks following a tick bite: muscle and/or joint aches, a stiff neck, headache, weakness, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and other flu-like symptoms, as well as a red spot or rash around the site of the bite. More severe symptoms can include difficulty breathing, heart palpitations and/or paralysis.
“The important thing to remember is to dress appropriately when you are outside and use insect repellent to avoid tick bites,” says Drevets.
To help prevent tick bites, be aware of where you’re most exposed. Avoid grassy, brushy and/or dense, wooded areas. When hiking, try to stay in the center of trails. Wear protective clothing and choose an insect repellant that works well against ticks. Also, frequently inspect yourself and others for the presence of ticks every few hours to be proactive in tick removal.
For a complete list of ticks in the United States and the diseases they may potentially transmit, visit cdc.gov/ticks/about/where-ticks-live.html.
