Lyme Disease Tics

Lyme Disease Tics

Lyme Disease Tics

While ticks are typically thought of as common insects, they are in reality arachnids like scorpions, spiders and mites. All the members of this group have 4 pairs of legs as adults and have no antennae. Adult insects have 3 pairs of legs and one pair of antennae. Ticks/Tics are one of the most potent carriers of disease since they attach themselves so securely when sucking blood; they feed slowly and often go unobserved for a considerable amount of time while feeding. Ticks can take several days to complete one feeding cycle.

Lyme disease is caused by bacteria transmitted by the deer tick (Ixodes scapularis), commonly known as Lyme disease ticks/tics. Once infected, Lyme disease can cause symptoms affecting the skin, nervous system, heart and/or joints of a person. Over 77,000 cases of infection have been reported to the New York State Department of Health ever since Lyme disease became reportable in 1986.

Lyme disease can have an effect on people of any age and background. People who often pass time in grass-covered and woodsy surroundings are at an increased risk of exposure to infected Lyme disease tics. The probabilities of being stung by a deer tick are more eminent during times of the year when ticks are most active. Young deer ticks, known as nymphs, are active from mid-May to mid-August and are about the size of poppy seeds. Full-grown ticks, which are more or less the size of sesame seeds, are most active from Mar to mid-May and from mid-August to Nov. Both nymphs and adults ticks can transmit Lyme disease. Ticks can be active any time the temperature is above freezing. Infected deer ticks can be found throughout New York State.

For the record, not all deer ticks are infected with the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, ticks become infected if they feed upon small animals that are contaminated with the bacteria. The disease can be spread when an infected tick stings an individual and stays attached to the person for a period of time. In most instances, the infected tick must be attached for thirty-six hrs or more before the bacteria can be transmitted properly. Thankfully, Lyme disease doesn’t spread from one individual to another. Transfer of the bacteria from an infected pregnant woman to the fetus is highly uncommon. Early Lyme disease symptoms generally appear within 3 to 30 days after the sting of an infected tick.

How Must A Tick Be Detached?

Clench the mouthparts with tweezers as close as possible to the attachment (skin) site. Be cautious not to squeeze, crush or puncture the body of the tick, which may carry contagious fluids. After removing the tick, thoroughly disinfect the insect bite site and wash off your hands. See a physician if there are worries about incomplete tick removal. Don’t attempt to remove ticks by using petroleum jelly, lit cigarettes or other home remedies since these might in reality increase the probability of catching a tick-borne disease.

Tick identification services are acquirable through with the New York State Department of Health and a few local health departments. The New York State Department of Health Tick Identification Service will tell you the species of the tick, whether it’s engorged with blood and, if so, how long it may have been feeding. The Tick Identification Service will also report whether the mouthparts are still present, if not, they may have stayed on the skin and need to be removed as soon as possible, as you would the common splinter. The Tick Identification Service will not tell you whether the tick is infected with disease-causing organisms. There is no charge for this service to you.

If you want to have a tick identified, place it in a little jar containing rubbing alcohol, seal the container to prevent leakage and fill out the Tick Identification Submittal Form. Mail the tick in the sealed off container, along with the filled out submittal form, to the New York State Health Department’s Tick Identification Service, c/o HVCC Central Receiving, 80 Vandenburgh Avenue, Troy, NY 12180. Once you send a tick to be identified it won’t be returned to you.

• Not all ticks carry the diseases and some areas are more affected than others.
• People describe a “moving freckle”, if the ticks are seen at all.
• Tick saliva contains anesthetics that lessen host awareness of the bite.
• The majority cases of Lyme disease can be successfully treated with antibiotics, but early treatment is vital.