News : Beware Of Ticks and Lyme Disease

Bull's Eye Rash

Virginia Gay Hospital is encouraging area residents to be especially vigilant about ticks and Lyme disease this season.

Lyme disease is acquired after being bitten by a tick infected with Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. The disease can be successfully treated with antibiotics and several antibiotics are effective. The antibiotics are usually given by mouth and patients treated with antibiotics in the early stages of the infection usually recover rapidly and completely.

Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans (bull's eye rash). Being vigilant about possible infection is important because later stages of the disease can cause arthritis, numbness, pain, nerve paralysis, and meningitis. Untreated later stage Lyme disease can be painful and in extreme circumstances, require hospitalization.

Here are a few simple steps you can use to avoid infection.

1. Use insect repellent with at least 20% DEET on clothes and exposed skin.

2. Check carefully for ticks, especially in hard to see areas like the groin, underarms, and scalp.

3. Bathe or shower soon after being in potentially tick infested areas.

4. Ticks must usually be attached for a day before being able to transmit the bacteria, so remove ticks that have become attached using tweezers and gently pull the tick from the skin. Avoid crushing the tick and do not use petroleum jelly, flame, nail polish, or other products.

5. Do not be alarmed by tick mouth parts that may remain in the skin.

6. After removal, cleanse the area with antiseptic.

7. Wash and dry clothing at high temperature to kill any ticks that may have hitched a ride indoors on your clothes.

8. Though research has not indicated that pet owners are more frequently infected than non-pet owners, pets can be infected and develop arthritis and other symptoms just like humans. Inspect your pet and use tick control products to protect you and your animals.

Additional helpful information can be accessed by visiting the CDC’s website at http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/resources/brochure/lymediseasebrochure.pdf