Warning: Tick Disease Spreading Like Wildfire, Know The Signs
You don’t have to delve deep into the world of nature to find all sorts of creepy things that will make your skin crawl. For instance, snakes and spiders make most everyone’s skin crawl.
Then there’s the terrifying critters that lurk beneath the waves. Just tell me that underwater denizens such as squids, sharks, and lizard fish don’t make you want to keep your feet on dry land.
For me, though, nothing is quite as creepy as bugs. And one of the bugs I like the least is the tick.
It isn’t their physical characteristics that freak me out. Rather, it’s the diseases they spread — and new reports say they’re spreading like wildfire.
According to the National Institutes of Health, “The incidence of tickborne infections in the United States has risen significantly within the past decade. It is imperative, therefore, that public health officials and scientists build a robust understanding of pathogenesis, design improved diagnostics, and develop preventive vaccines.”
That’s more than mere hyperbole. Ticks are widespread across the American southeast and the number of tick-related illnesses continues to climb.
What’s more, they spread a cocktail of truly nasty illnesses, some of which can affect you for life. They can carry ehrlichiosis (a bacterial sickness), Lyme disease (a very common illness that can linger in a small percentage of the population), and Southern tick-associated rash illness (which causes nasty lesions).
Sometimes they’re even fatal. In July, Indiana state health officials reported a death from ehrlichiosis.
The patient was elderly, and it should be emphasized that such deaths are usually rare. The Hoosier State has only reported four in the past five years.
Still, that doesn’t mean you should let down your guard. High summer is the time that ticks pose the greatest risk.
It sometimes only takes a single bite to sicken a person, and many people don’t even know that a tick has gotten its nasty little jaws into them. So what should you do to avoid tick-borne illnesses?
First, understand how they move. You’ll find ticks in wooded areas and even in heavily grassy areas, so keep your eyes open if you’re traveling through such places.
Ticks can also catch a ride on outdoor pets, so examine Bowser carefully when he comes in from his afternoon romp. You should also examine yourself after being outside.
Pay special attention to vulnerable places such as the soft undersides of joints, the scalp, the bellybutton, behind ears, and the pubic area. EPA-approved repellents can also help, as will pants and long shirts.
What should you do if you find a tick on you? The only reliable way to safely remove a tick is with tweezers.
Squeeze its head with the tweezer tips, flush the little beast down the toilet, clean the area — and wait for any symptoms, such as rashes, fatigue, or fevers. Tick-borne illnesses can take a full month to materialize, but with proper vigilance, you can head off the worst of any affliction.
Submit your story here, and subscribe to our best uplifting stories here.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
