| BEWARE
OF TICKS…IT’S LYME TIME
While everyone is susceptible to tick bites; campers,
hikers, and people who work in
gardening and in other leafy outdoor venues are at the
greatest risk of being bitten. Lyme disease is an infection
caused by the bite of an infected female deer tick.
Leslie Terjesen, Ocean County Health Department Public
Information Officer stated,
“The majority of cases of Lyme disease in Ocean
County have been found in Toms River,
followed by Jackson, then Manchester, although Lyme
Disease is reported from all areas of Ocean County.
In addition, the last statistics available from 2008
show that the majority of
people reported to have confirmed cases or probably
cases of Lyme disease were between the ages of 50 –
59. That changed from the year 2007, where the highest
amount diagnosed with
Lyme disease were between the ages of 30 – 39.
Although these statistics show the majority in these
age groups, all age groups were affected by Lyme disease.
Lyme disease can cause fever, headaches, fatigue, swollen
lymph nodes and a characteristic skin rash, sometimes
called a bulls-eye rash. A bulls-eye rash is an early-stage
symptom and usually appears at the site of the tick
bite within 3 to 30 days. Not everyone gets this rash
but even if one does, it may go unnoticed. Left untreated,
the infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the
nervous system.
Terjesen suggested the following precautions to be taken
to protect yourself from ticks:
• Avoid wooded, brushy, and grassy areas in the
summer months; keep high grass
mowed.
• Wear light-colored clothing to spot ticks.
• Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts.
• Tie long hair back and wear a hat.
• Tuck pant legs into socks or shoes, and tuck
shirts into pants.
• Spray insect repellent containing DEET on clothes
and exposed skin other than the face,
or treat clothes with permethrin, which kills ticks
on contact. (check manufacturer’s
label for special instructions or warnings)
• Walk in the center of trails to avoid brush
and grass.
• Remove your clothing, and wash and dry them
at high temperatures after being
outdoors.
• Do a careful body check for ticks after outdoor
activities. |
