The warmer weather is on its way, which means using proper protection methods against ticks and the diseases they carry. Maine had 1,473 cases of Lyme disease reported in 2016. May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month, the perfect time to remind people to be “tick-smart” by doing a daily tick check, since ticks are most active in warmer weather.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that is passed through the bite of an infected deer tick. In Maine, it is most common in adults over the age of 65 years and in children from ages 5-15. Individuals that work and play outside are more likely to be exposed to ticks. Ticks must be attached for 24-48 hours before Lyme disease can be transmitted, so daily tick checks will allow one to find and remove ticks before getting Lyme disease.
If one is bitten by a tick, or spends a lot of time outdoors, watch for symptoms for up to 30 days, and call a health-care provider if symptoms develop. The most common symptom of Lyme disease is a skin lesion called erythema migrans, better known as the “bull’s-eye” rash. This usually appears in 3-30 days after the tick bite. Other symptoms include fevers, headaches, and joint or muscle pain.
Lyme disease is treatable and most individuals recover completely with a proper drugs. However, the easiest way to avoid the disease is prevention, using the “No Ticks 4 ME” approach:
1. Use caution in tick-infested areas.
2. Wear protective clothing.
3. Use an EPA-approved repellant.
4. Perform daily tick checks after any outdoor activity.
Lyme disease is not the only disease that can be carried by deer ticks in Maine. Anaplasmosis and babesiosis are two other tickborne infections found in the state. The number of cases reported for anaplasmosis rose to 372 and the number of babesiosis cases rose to 82 in 2016.
While the deer tick is the only species of tick in Maine that can transmit Lyme disease, there are other species of ticks found across the state, including dog ticks. Tick identification is important, especially when removing ticks, and there are tick-identification resources available to order at the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention website. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick ID Lab also offers free identification services and educational references.
For additional information, call 1-800-821-5821 or email disease.reporting@maine.gov. Tickborne-disease videos can be found at maine.gov/lyme.
