As the weather turns warmer and outdoor activity increases, the Chautauqua County Health Department encourages residents to take precautions to prevent tick bites. May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month, and as part of their work to prevent disease, promote wellness and protect the health and safety of the community, the Health Department recommends checking for and properly removing ticks, understanding the symptoms of Lyme disease, and knowing when to call your medical provider. Lyme disease has more than doubled in Chautauqua County since 2014.
Environmental Health Director Jessica Wuerstle says, "Not all ticks cause disease and not all tick bites will make you sick, but it's important to learn how to prevent a bite, how
to remove a tick and what to do if you think you were exposed to a tick-borne disease."
Deer ticks live in shady, moist areas at ground level. They cling to tall grass, brushes and shrubs, usually no more than 18-24 inches off the ground. They also live in lawns and gardens, especially at the edges of forested areas and around old stone walls. Ticks cannot jump or fly onto a person; they wait in vegetation and cling to animals or humans that pass by. Once a tick gets on the skin, it generally climbs upward until it reaches a warm, protected area of the body.
- If you spend time outdoors, please take the following steps to protect yourself:
Wear light-colored clothing with a tight weave to spot ticks easily.
- Wear enclosed shoes, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Tuck pant legs into socks or boots and shirts into pants.
- Check clothes and exposed skin frequently for ticks while outdoors.
- Consider using insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Follow the label directions when using repellents and apply in small amounts, avoiding contact with the eyes, nose or mouth.
- Stay on open, well-traveled trails. Walk in the center of trails and avoid dense wooded and bushy areas.
- Avoid sitting directly on the ground or on stone walls.
- Keep long hair tied back.
- Bathe or shower as soon as possible after going indoors (preferably within two hours) to wash off and more easily find ticks that may be on you.
- Do a final, full-body tick check at the end of the day (remember to check children and pets) and remove ticks quickly.
If you find an attached tick, remove it immediately, preferably with fine point tweezers. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and firmly pull the tick straight out.
Depending on how long the tick was attached, a one-time dose of antibiotic may be prescribed to prevent Lyme disease. Contact your health care provider as soon as possible to discuss possible treatment options, especially if you do not know how long a tick was attached or if the tick is engorged with blood.
If you develop symptoms of Lyme disease, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. The Chautauqua County Health Department cannot test ticks to determine if they are carrying bacteria or viruses that cause disease.
Visit the New York State Health Department or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for more information.
Left to right size comparison of deer tick life stages over a dime: larva, nymph, adult male, adult female.
