The Jackson County Health Department (JCHD) has tracked three reported cases of Lyme Disease in Jackson County so far this Spring. The news was reported Friday afternoon, April 25, in a news release issued by Jackson County Health Commissioner Kevin Aston.
“Lyme Disease can produce very severe and painful life-long infections,” the JCHD news release stated. “Preventing tick bites eliminates the chance of catching Lyme Disease and other tick-borne illnesses, so the JCHD would like you to take preventative actions to minimize your risk of getting bitten before any more cases occur.”
The JCHD news release continued: “You can encounter a tick in almost any outside environment. You can protect yourself by using Permethrin to treat your clothing and a spray containing DEET on your skin. Permethrin is a chemical that you can use to treat clothing, boots, tents and other outdoor gear. Be sure not to get Permethrin on your skin — if you do, wash the area thoroughly with soap and water. Some Permethrin products continue to treat your clothing even after being washed! Make sure to read the labels of all bug repellants before using them. Bug sprays, such as OFF!, can be used to prevent tick bites, but make sure to read the label. Not all bug sprays have a high enough concentration of DEET to repel ticks and may only repel mosquitoes. The label on the bottle will tell you if it works on ticks or not.”
The information that the Health Department has received this year from local residents who have found ticks on them indicate those ticks are particularly small — perhaps no bigger than a piece of pepper from a tabletop pepper shaker.
“The best way to remove a tick is to get a sharp pair of tweezers, grab the tick as close to the skin as possible, and pull it straight out of the skin,” the JCHD advised. “Do not twist or jerk during removal. After you have removed a tick make sure you clean your skin with soap and water. Seek medical attention if you have recently been bitten by a tick and have a fever, rash or flu-like symptoms. Blood tests can be done to test you for Lyme Disease or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.”
The JCHD also points out it is important to perform a close self-inspection after being outdoors for long periods.
“It is important to check your skin for tick bites whenever you have been outside for an extended period of time,” JCHD cautioned. “You can get a tick bite anywhere on your skin, but the groin area, armpits, back of knees, around the waist, inside and around the ears, buttocks and in your hair are common places. It is recommended to have someone help you check for ticks in case they are located in an area you cannot see really well. Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors to make it easier to remove ticks that may be on your skin but have not bitten you yet. Ticks can attach to your clothing, so always check your clothing for ticks before you go indoors. Light-colored clothing can help see the tiny insects when they crawl on you before they bite, and wearing long pants, shirt sleeves, socks and having long hair tied up can help keep them off your skin in the first place. You can wash and dry your clothing with hot water and on high heat to get rid of ticks that are on your clothing.
Members of the public can call the JCHD anytime at 740-286-5094with any questions or concerns they may have about contracting a tick-borne illness.
“As Spring turns to Summer and we are all headed outdoors more and more to enjoy the improving weather, don’t forget to keep yourself safe from ticks!” the JCHD news release concluded.
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