Tick season brings a risk for Lyme disease

Lyme disease is the most common disease spread by the bite from an insect, with 30,000 cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year. This number, however, does not reflect every case of Lyme Disease that is diagnosed annually.

Blacklegged ticks are the most common carrier of Lyme disease; these include deer ticks, wood ticks and lone star ticks, all of which are most active in Wisconsin, from May to September.

If a bite from a tick leads to Lyme disease and it’s untreated, it can produce a variety of symptoms, including fever, rash, arthritis and facial paralysis in humans. In pets, Lyme disease can cause a loss of appetite, reduced energy, joint pain and even kidney failure, which can be fatal.

To prevent a tick bite, the CDC recommends the following:

• Avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass

• Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents containing DEET

• Wear long sleeves, long pants and long socks when outdoors for any length of time

• Check clothing, body and hair carefully after coming indoors

• Check pets for ticks daily, especially around their ears, eyelids, tail and toes To remove a tick, grasp it with a narrow-bladed tweezers as close as possible to the skin, pull upward and out, with a firm and steady tension. Do not use petroleum jelly, a hot match, nail polish or other products.

Don’t squeeze, crush or puncture the tick’s body, which may contain infectious fluids, and do not twist the tick, which can cause the mouthparts to break off and stay in the skin. After removal, clean the bite site with rubbing alcohol and monitor that area of the skin.

Early signs and symptoms of Lyme disease include fever and/or chills; headache; fatigue; muscle aches; and a bullseye rash at the site of the bite. Long-term symptooms also include severe headaches and neck stiffness; loss of muscle tone or droopiness in the face; severe joint pain, particularly in the knees; heart palpitations; numbness; tingling or shooting pains in the hands or feet.

If symptoms persist or worsen, a person should seek emergency care.