What are “vector-borne diseases”?

Ticks and mosquitoes are not only pesky and annoying, but they can carry some nasty diseases. Diseases that infect us from their bites are called “vector-borne diseases.” There are long lists of vector-borne diseases, but we will focus on just a few here.

Ticks

Many different ticks exist out there that used to be more geographically isolated but are expanding their territory and are no longer isolated to certain areas as much as before. This means that you can get Lyme Disease (first found in Lyme, Connecticut) from a tick in Colorado, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is most common in North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas!

1. Lyme Disease bacteria are less likely to infect you if you remove the tick within 24 hours.
   • Symptoms depend on the stage of the disease (stage 1, 2, or 3) – early we can see rash, fever, headache, joint stiffness.
   • Not everyone gets the classic “target” rash.
2. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever symptoms are fever, headache, muscle aches, rash, and sometimes vomiting occurs.
3. Alpha Gal Syndrome is a food allergy that can develop after certain tick bites. The allergy is typically to red meat and other mammal food products like gelatins and sometimes dairy.
   • Symptoms include redness, hives, itching, and swelling after eating red meat.
   • Symptoms are delayed 3-6 hours from eating.

The Best Medicine is Prevention!

• Spray your outdoor clothing, shoes, tent, and other gear with a repellent that is 0.5% permethrin.
• Use a repellent with DEET - 20% is recommended.
• Shower as soon as possible to wash off any loose ticks. Check for ticks that may have burrowed.
• Use a mirror to check your body well. Check your underarms, hair and hairline, your ears, waist, between your legs, behind your knees, and inside your belly button.
• Check your gear. Before you wash your work clothes, put them in the dryer on hot for at least 10 minutes to kill ticks.

Removal of tick - do not use matches or lighters. Grasp at the point where the head is embedded with tweezers and gently pull out. Try to avoid squeezing the tick. Once tick is removed, wash the bite area with soap and water.

Note date, time, and area of body you were bitten, and if practical, save the tick in a resealable plastic bag and freeze it for later identification if needed. If you are in a highly endemic area, you can seek medical care and discuss if preventative antibiotics are indicated. Otherwise, monitor your symptoms.

For more detailed instructions, visit the CDC website.

Discussion Questions:

• What can you do to prevent vector-borne diseases from ticks?
• Do you have a plan each day to check yourself?
• Can a buddy help? When and where?
• What should you do if you find a tick?
• What are the signs to be looking out for?