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For Immediate Release Friday, May 19, 2006
Avoid Ticks When in the High Country
DENVER--State health officials Friday advised individuals
traveling to the mountains to be aware that it is tick season
and to take a few simple precautions to prevent tick bites.
There are several diseases that can be transmitted by ticks in
Colorado and avoiding tick bites is the best prevention.
“There is no need to limit your outdoor activities,” said
John Pape, an epidemiologist who specializes in animal-related
diseases from the Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment. “Just taking a few simple precautions can prevent
tick bites.”
He advised individuals to wear light-colored clothing,
which makes it easier to see ticks, and to apply a small
amount of insect repellent containing less than 30 percent of
DEET to areas of exposed skin, especially on the ankles and
legs.
“Be careful not to over apply insect repellent on children,”
he said.
Pape said that the most effective way to avoid tick bites
and prevent transmission of any diseases the tick may carry is
to conduct regular ‘tick checks.’ He suggested that
head-to-toe searches, which focus in particular on the neck
beneath the hair, should be conducted every couple of hours
during a mountain excursion.
Pape said, “On children, it is particularly common to find
ticks beneath the hair line. So, check that area regularly.”
Pape explained that tick checks should be conducted
regularly because it usually takes ticks just an hour or so to
find a place to embed. Then, it takes several hours of feeding
before an infected tick can transmit enough of a disease
organism to cause illness. Therefore, the quick discovery and
removal of ticks can prevent illness, he said.
However, even if a tick is found embedded in the skin,
there is no need to panic.
“Unless the tick is embedded in the ear or another sensitive
area, the person should simply pull it out. The recommended
method of removal is to use tweezers or fingers covered with
tissue paper. Grasp the tick where it has entered the skin and
slowly and firmly pull it out,” he said.
Ticks secrete a type of glue that holds them in while
feeding so there may be some resistance but they will come out
with steady pressure, he explained.
“Avoid twisting or jerking the tick. When the tick has been
removed, wash the bite site with soap and water,” he
explained.
Other tick removal methods, such as covering the tick with
oil or petroleum jelly or touching it with a cigarette or hot
match are not recommended and can actually increase the risk
of disease transmission.
“Although most Colorado ticks are not infected with any
disease, if you are going to get a disease from a tick bite in
Colorado, you will most likely contract Colorado tick fever,
which is very common,” Pape said.
Colorado tick fever, of which approximately 100-200 cases
occur each year in the state, is a viral disease that begins
three-to-five days after a tick bite and is characterized by
fever, chills, headache, muscle pain and fatigue. The symptoms
generally clear up for a couple of days and then reappear for
a few more days.
Most people are sick for about a week before recovering. There
is no treatment for the illness.
Pape advised, “If you become ill following a tick bite,
contact your health care provider to ensure that it is
Colorado tick fever and not something more serious.”
Other tick diseases not commonly reported in Colorado include
Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, relapsing fever and
Lyme disease.
For a free pamphlet on Colorado Tick Fever or other
tick-borne diseases information, the public may call (303)
692-2700.
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