Troublesome ticks

HAMPTON ROADS, Va. - Most people know that ticks live in areas that have lots of trees and brush, but the tiny insects can also thrive right in your own backyard.

Dr. Bill Berg with the Hampton Health Department says ticks can be just about anywhere. "If you have a brushy area, tall grass in your yard, that's a habitat that ticks love," said Dr. Berg.  

A tick bit John Cooke in his own backyard and infected him with Rocky Mountain Spotted fever. "I was just out in the backyard about a year ago when we had moved into the house. It was our first summer and I built a garden for my wife in the woods," Cooke said.

According to Berg, it's a disease that can be fatal if not caught early. Virginia cases of Lyme disease have also increased dramatically in the past ten years.

Berg says it's the Blacklegged tick that carries Lyme disease. "What's out there right now is the nymph and that's smaller much harder to see. It's only about a 16th of an inch," Dr. Berg said. That's about the size of an average pen tip.

Cooke couldn't believe that such a little insect could cause him so many problems. "[I felt] really lethargic, tired out of the ordinary tired, having a hard time remembering normal stuff. Everything seemed like a chore. I really couldn't tell one thing that made me feel bad, but I just knew it wasn't right."

Make sure you check your pet regularly, check in their ears and behind the neck. Your pet can also contract Lyme disease. Not only can ticks harm your pet, but your pet can transport them into your home where they can potentially bite you or your family. Check with your Veternarian about prevention medication and the vaccine for Lyme disease. 

Dr. Berg says the best way to remove a tick is by grabbing the tick at the base of the head with tweezers and pulling it straight up slow and steady.

There are a lot of myths out there about removing ticks, burning the tick or smothering the tick with petroleum jelly.  Dr. Berg says they don't work. And by the time you wait for the jelly to smother the tick, the tick has had time to possibly infect you.  

Cooke says that his doctor recomends that you keep a tick instead of discarding it. It may help the doctors determine the specifics of your illness.

Time is of the essesence. After 24-hours the increase for contracting Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain Spotted fever increases dramatically. Prevention could be your best bet to protect you and your family.

Tips from the Hampton Health Department

• Wear light colored clothing
• Wear long sleeve shirt and long pants tucked into your socks
• Clear away brush
• Use repellant that has Deet 
• Use Permethrin, a spray that you use on your clothes (it can last through a couple washings)

"If you want to put it starkly, all ticks are bad. They are all capable of carrying some type of disease," said Dr. Berg. 
 

Click here to read more in the Tick Brochure provided by the Virginia Department of Health 

Click here to read more about preventing tick borne diseases