Tips to protect yourself against ticks and Lyme Disease

(WTAJ) — Summer is here and with being outside more often you can be at a greater risk of tick bites So what are some things you can do prevent bites and illnesses? Let’s hear what the experts have to say.

Lyme Disease is the most commonly reported illness in Pennsylvania, according to the Department of Health . In 2023, cases started to spike in May and tended to reach their drop-off in September. So far in 2024, Cameron County had the highest number of incidences per 100,000 population.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is no stranger to wildlife and they claim that any animal can carry ticks.

“Most there are ticks you’re going to find in your brushy areas or wooded areas. Any kind of like high grassy areas. So you’re not going to see as many in like, well-groomed lawns or anything. Again, it’s not going to say they’re not there because animals are still going to walk through there and they still can drop off of them there. But most of them are going to be in or brushy areas,” Amy Nabozny, State Game Warden for the Pennsylvania Game Commission Southcentral Region said.

That means there’s always a chance one could bite you, and prevention is important.

“Use any kind of insect repellent that has like a permethrin base to it. Use long pants, you know, maybe tuck your pants into your socks or else your boots. Then obviously, once you get back, try to shower as quickly as possible and then just thoroughly check yourself, your pets and your kids and everything like that might be exposed to those areas,” Nabozny said.

So if you are bitten by a tick, what should you do? Robert Sullivan, an infectious disease specialist with UPMC says you should get it off your body as soon as possible.

“So they actually have little tweezers that you can buy for removing ticks. And they’re good to get the tick out without rupturing the body of the tick. And if you, if you start to manipulate the tick, it may cause some of the bacteria that cause Lyme to get into your system,” Sullivan said.

A Game Commission Wildlife Director we spoke to said that people might not always suspect the little insects.

“I have been bitten by a tick. A couple different times actually. Sometimes you don’t even feel them. Some people don’t. It depends on your skin sensation,” Seth Mesoras, Wildlife Regional Director of the PA Game Commission Southcentral Region said.

Although ticks are most active in the fall and spring months, you still need to be on high alert for them throughout the year and check your body to make sure you haven’t brought any back.

“The most common spot would be on the extremities, arms or legs. Yeah, but they like to go to moist areas. So you might see them like in the back of the knee, you might see them in the armpit. You may see them like along the hairline. They like to go to those places. If you get one in your hairline, know you have dark hair, you won’t see that tick,” Sullivan said.

So with a rise in Lyme Disease cases in the state , it begs the question, do you always get Lyme Disease if you get bitten by a tick?

“No, not all ticks have Lyme. A lot of them do have it of course. That’s why we have such an epidemic now. But not all of them do have it. So you may not necessarily get Lyme,” said Sullivan.

Here are a few symptoms of Lyme Disease:

• Erythema migrans (EM) – red, oval or round rash or “bull’s eye rash”
• Severe headaches and neck stiffness
• Shooting pains, numbness, or tingling in the hands or feet
• Problems with short-term memory
• Arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling, particularly in the knees and other large joints
• Heart palpitations or an irregular heartbeat

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Any of the above symptoms can begin days to months after a tick bite. If you believe you’ve been bitten by a tick or have any of these symptoms, contact your doctor for the best course of action.

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