4-29-2024 2:04pm

BE READY FOR

Ticks Out Early In MD (You Can Thank A Mild El Niño Winter For That)

A mild winter in Maryland — highs will hit 70 this week — have brought ticks out early. Here's what to do to avoid tick-borne ailments.

A mild El Niño winter in Maryland means ticks are out early and may already be attaching themselves to dogs — and you — and potentially spreading serious diseases.

The emergence of ticks, carriers of Lyme disease, babesiosis and other diseases, is usually a mid-spring occurrence, but even in typically wintry Minnesota, deer ticks were out in early February, according to pest-control officials in the Twin Cities.

Tick species to be on the lookout for in Maryland include:

American dog tick, which transmits: Tularemia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The highest risk of being bitten occurs during spring and summer. Adult females are most likely to bite humans.

Brown dog tick, which transmits: Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Dogs are the primary host for this tick in each of its life stages, but the tick may also bite humans or other mammals.

Gulf Coast tick, found along the Bay and Atlantic waters, it transmits: Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis, a form of spotted fever. Larvae and nymphs feed on birds and small rodents, while adult ticks feed on deer and other wildlife. Adult ticks have been associated with transmission of R. parkeri to humans.

Lone star tick, which is widely distributed in the eastern and southeastern United States. It transmits: Bourbon virus, Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Ehrlichia ewingii (which cause human ehrlichiosis), Heartland virus, tularemia, and STARI. Growing evidence suggests that alpha-gal syndrome (red meat allergy) may be triggered by the bite of lone star ticks.

Diagnosing a tick-borne illness can be tricky because symptoms may not develop for up to 30 days in some cases. People who have been infected often feel like they have a cold or flu in the beginning. That’s when they should go to the doctor, because if left untreated, more serious complications, and even death in rare cases, may develop, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC monitors where tick-borne diseases have been reported and what you should do if you suspect you’re sick. Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness and is found in a range that includes the Midwest, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, as well as the Pacific Northwest.

Other common diseases spread by ticks include babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, anaplasmosis, Powassan virus disease, tick-borne relapsing fever and tularemia.

Tick-borne diseases that have been reported in Maryland, according to CDC data, include:

Lyme disease: If left untreated, Lyme disease can cause a wide range of symptoms, depending on the state of infection, including fever, rash, facial paralysis and arthritis. Other symptoms, in absence of a rash, include chills, headaches, fatigue, muscle and joint aches and swollen lymph nodes.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever: Most people who get sick with this illness experience a fever, headache and rash. If not treated with the right antibiotics early, it can be fatal. Before tetracycline antibiotics were available, Rocky Mountain spotted fever fatality rates ranged from 20 percent to 80 percent, according to the CDC.

Powassan virus diseases: Symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting and general weakness, usually progressing to meningoencephalitis, a very serious neurological condition resembling both meningitis and encephalitis with symptoms that include mental confusion, seizures, paralysis and palsies. If left untreated, it can lead to death.

Ehrlichiosis: There are three strains of this illness, one of them potentially deadly. Fatal cases of ehrlichiosis are highest among children around 10 and adults around 70, according to the CDC.
It’s most reported in the Southeast and South Central United States.

Here are more tick-borne illnesses:

More information on preventing tick bites, removing ticks, checking your pets for ticks and stopping ticks from getting into your yard is available from the CDC.

Ticks are active anytime the weather is above freezing, but especially now through mid-May and from mid-August to November. Adult ticks and nymphs can transmit Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other tick-borne illnesses.

Ticks can make dogs sick with many of the same diseases as humans. Cats are susceptible to Lyme disease.

Because symptoms lag, the best thing to do is protect yourself against ticks when you’re in places they’re likely to be found — grassy, brushy and wooded areas, or even your backyard. Some tips from the CDC:

Wear socks and boots, and tuck your pants into your boots. Cover your hair as well.
Tick-specific insect repellents can help, too. Treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks and tents with products containing 0.5 percent permethrin.
Talk to your veterinarian about tick treatments for cats and dogs.
Check yourself for ticks daily, especially under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, and on the hairline and scalp.
Shower soon after being outdoors.

If you do find a tick, use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible. The key is to remove the tick as soon as you find it or are able to. Using nail polish, petroleum jelly or heat to make the tick detach from the skin won’t work.

Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick, as this can cause its mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If you are unable to remove the mouth parts easily, leave them alone and let the skin heal.

After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.