Tick season is back; take precautions

As spring turns to summer, Montanans and tourists are beginning to venture farther into the outdoors to get away from that hustle and bustle of the work week; it is also signals the start of tick season.

Before venturing outdoors, or before your teens get set for the camping season with friends, there are a few things health officials across the state want people to know should they encounter one or more ticks.

State and local public health officials urge everyone to follow a few simple steps to prevent tick bites and their illnesses.

Officials with the Department of Public Health and Human Services said in a recent press release the best way to prevent tick-borne disease is to prevent tick bites.

Though should you find a tick on yourself, loved one or pet, don’t panic as you can manage a tick bite.

Public health officials emphasize a three step approach to prevent tick bites:

LIMIT: Ticks live in wooded, brushy, or grassy areas so walk in the center of trails and mow your property where you and your pets spend time.

REPEL: Wear long, light-colored pants and socks to spot ticks more easily and use insect repellents. Those repellents containing up to 30 percent DEET can be used on the skin or clothing. Repellents with lower DEET concentrations might need to be applied more frequently. Repellents containing permethrin can be used on clothing, but not on skin. One application to pants, socks, and shoes may be effective through several washings.

INSPECT: Check your skin carefully for ticks after returning from outdoor activities especially if you were in wooded, brushy, or grassy areas. Common hiding places for ticks are the scalp, beard, back of the knees, armpits, groin, back of the neck, and behind the ears. De-ticking clothing is best done by throwing clothes into a drier on high for 10 minutes, even before washing.

The most common symptoms of tick-borne infections include fever and chills, aches and pains, rash and fever of varying degrees.

Although most are easily treated with antibiotics, these diseases can be difficult for physicians to diagnose. Early recognition and treatment of the infection decreases the risk of serious complications.

Individuals should see their health-care provider immediately if they have been bitten by a tick and experience symptoms.

If you find a tick and it’s still attached, follow these steps to safely remove the tick.

Use fine-tipped, “pointy” tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.

Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.

After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.

Should you have to de-tick your pet, remember to find a glass jar with a good lid, so you can drop the ticks into confined area and continue to prevent them from getting back on. You can also poor a little rubbing alcohol or denatured alcohol, just remember to label correctly and place in a safe place to prevent kids from getting to it.

Officials warn against using folklore remedies such as “painting” the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly, or using heat to make the tick detach from the skin. These methods are not recommended and may cause the tick to burrow deeper into the skin.

Though tick season runs from May through to September, if you venture out for a hike, go camping or enjoy other outdoor activities there is a likely hood of you getting tick bite.

Both state and local health officials receive reports of tick-borne illnesses every year and nationally tick-borne diseases are on the rise.

Commonly reported tick-borne diseases in Montana include; Rocky Mountain spotted fever, lyme disease, tickborne relapsing fever, tularemia, and Colorado tick fever.

However, of the tick borne diseases that are out there, the likely hood of contracting lyme disease from a tick bite is low to non existent in Montana.

In recent years, cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia have increased in Montana.

Other reported tick-borne illnesses believed to be acquired out of state include ehrlichiosis and babesiosis. All diseases listed above can cause serious illness.

For more information visit the DPHHS website at http://www.dphhs.mt.gov.