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Message from Monroe County Schools Nurses: Check Adults, Children, and Pets for Ticks
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Chances are you're familiar with tick season. They are certainly a nuisance. They feed on blood, and if infected with bacteria or viruses, they can pose a risk to humans and pets.
Where are ticks found? Ticks can be found anywhere, and they thrive in humid areas with trees, fallen leaves, or other debris. There are many species of ticks, three of which are most plentiful in the US: Black-legged, or deer ticks, found in Midwest and Northeast, Dog ticks, common in Midwest and Eastern U.S., Lone star ticks, most commonly found in Southeast. If you are not sure how to identify a tick, visit tickencounter.org
According to CDC, mosquito, tick, and flea-borne illnesses doubled across the US between 2004-2016, and Lyme disease is primarily to blame. Experts confirm Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease, with the CDC receiving about 30,000 reports of new cases yearly. Fever, headache, fatigue, and bullseye rash called erythema migrans are common symptoms. Infection can eventually affect joints, heart, and nervous system. Tick paralysis can be caused by neurotoxin within a tick's salivary gland with symptoms present in 2-7 days. Researchers say initial symptom is weakness in one or both legs, eventually progressing to paralysis. Most common in animals, the condition can affect humans, who should take precautions as they typically do for dealing with ticks.
When checking for ticks, know they gravitate toward warmer body parts-groin, scalp and armpit. The ears, behind knees, and waist area are also landing places. If you find a tick, the CDC's recommendation is to remove with tweezers, then thoroughly clean the bite area with alcohol, soap, and water. They also recommend saving the tick, rather than discarding it. Doctors are increasingly interested in identification of ticks to diagnose complications. There's no need to go to an emergency room or to the doctor unless symptoms appear. If fever or a rash develop, that's a sign a healthcare professional should be involved.
How can people avoid ticks? People are unlikely to encounter ticks if they live in an open, urban area; while living near woods makes one more susceptible to ticks. The EPA recommends Deet in any insect repellents you use. Dogs in particular can carry some of the same ticks affecting humans. While dogs can carry Lyme disease tick, they don't transmit the disease to humans. Check for ticks on you, and check your pets for ticks.
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Monroe County Schools offers parents and guardians the opportunity to track grades and attendance through Infinite Campus.
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