Lockwood Schools Health Center in Billings, Montana

Ticks - Spring 2005

Ticks Making Early Appearance this Year, Health Officials Warn

State health officials warned Tuesday that ticks are on the prowl earlier than usual this year because of unseasonably warm weather and lack of snow cover. They urged Montanans to begin taking precautions now to avoid tickborne diseases.

“Ticks are usually active from late March until July, when dryness and heat finally force them to take cover on the ground,” said Todd Damrow, epidemiologist with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. “But this year, they’re out earlier than usual. The diseases they carry are sure to follow.”

Ticks are parasites that feed by latching on to an animal or human host, imbedding their mouthparts into the host’s skin, and sucking its blood. This method of feeding makes ticks perfect disease transmitters. They are responsible for at least nine known diseases in humans in the United States and at least four in Montana, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever, tularemia, and Q fever, Damrow said. So far there is no record of a Montana tick spreading Lyme disease.

Damrow said people should be on the lookout for ticks in town as well as when they’re hiking, fishing, or camping in the mountains, forests, or sagebrush plains.

“We’re continuing to see more tick bites within city limits, presumably because more deer are moving into urban areas and bringing their parasites with them,” he said.

Ticks range in size from the size of the period at the end of this sentence to the size of a pea. They are shaped like pumpkin seeds and are brown to reddish-brown in color. They do not fly or jump but crawl slowly up vegetation and wait for their human and animal victims to brush against them.

Damrow recommended taking the following precautions against ticks: wear clothing that covers the body, such as long-sleeved shirts tucked into pants; spray insect repellent on clothing; examine yourself and your children regularly for ticks, particularly around the ears, hairline, underarms, and folds in the skin; and protect pets with flea and tick repellents.

If you find a tick embedded in your skin, Damrow said, it’s best to use tweezers to remove it.

“Grasp the tick near the point of attachment and pull upward firmly, but don’t jerk or twist,” he advised. If tweezers aren’t available, use your fingers, but protect them with plastic gloves or at least tissue paper since tick fluids may be infective. Apply antiseptic and a bandage to the site and finish by washing your hands with soap and water.

Rates of infection in ticks vary by area but are generally low, Damrow said.

Ticks cannot tolerate extreme heat or cold, so they have two primary feeding periods: spring and fall. As winter closes in, ticks take cover under leaf litter or other surface vegetation, becoming inactive in temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

For more information about tickborne diseases, contact your local health department or visit the Web site of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/list_tickborne.htm.

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	Ticks - Spring 2005 Ticks Making Early Appearance this Year, Health Officials Warn State health officials warned Tuesday that ticks are on the prowl earlier than usual this year because of unseasonably warm weather and lack of snow cover. They urged Montanans to begin taking precautions now to avoid tickborne diseases. “Ticks are usually active from late March until July, when dryness and heat finally force them to take cover on the ground,” said Todd Damrow, epidemiologist with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. “But this year, they’re out earlier than usual. The diseases they carry are sure to follow.” Ticks are parasites that feed by latching on to an animal or human host, imbedding their mouthparts into the host’s skin, and sucking its blood. This method of feeding makes ticks perfect disease transmitters. They are responsible for at least nine known diseases in humans in the United States and at least four in Montana, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever, tularemia, and Q fever, Damrow said. So far there is no record of a Montana tick spreading Lyme disease. Damrow said people should be on the lookout for ticks in town as well as when they’re hiking, fishing, or camping in the mountains, forests, or sagebrush plains. “We’re continuing to see more tick bites within city limits, presumably because more deer are moving into urban areas and bringing their parasites with them,” he said. Ticks range in size from the size of the period at the end of this sentence to the size of a pea. They are shaped like pumpkin seeds and are brown to reddish-brown in color. They do not fly or jump but crawl slowly up vegetation and wait for their human and animal victims to brush against them. Damrow recommended taking the following precautions against ticks: wear clothing that covers the body, such as long-sleeved shirts tucked into pants; spray insect repellent on clothing; examine yourself and your children regularly for ticks, particularly around the ears, hairline, underarms, and folds in the skin; and protect pets with flea and tick repellents. If you find a tick embedded in your skin, Damrow said, it’s best to use tweezers to remove it. “Grasp the tick near the point of attachment and pull upward firmly, but don’t jerk or twist,” he advised. If tweezers aren’t available, use your fingers, but protect them with plastic gloves or at least tissue paper since tick fluids may be infective. Apply antiseptic and a bandage to the site and finish by washing your hands with soap and water. Rates of infection in ticks vary by area but are generally low, Damrow said. Ticks cannot tolerate extreme heat or cold, so they have two primary feeding periods: spring and fall. As winter closes in, ticks take cover under leaf litter or other surface vegetation, becoming inactive in temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. For more information about tickborne diseases, contact your local health department or visit the Web site of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/list_tickborne.htm.