Dear NP

Dear NP,

Last year I was diagnosed with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever after a long course of sickness. My delay in treatment was because I failed to mention I had a recent tick bite. With warmer weather approaching, it may be helpful to let readers know about tick-borne illnesses found in our area.

Dear Reader,

Warmer weather is coming and while we are all looking forward to spending time outdoors, avoiding ticks is a crucial way to prevent contracting the illness they can spread. Ticks can carry several diseases. Infected ticks can pass a disease on through a bite. Ticks can be present in Wyoming all year long but seem to be most active in spring and summer.

Infected ticks carry the following diseases in Wyoming: tularemia, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF), and Colorado Tick Fever (CTF). Other diseases like Lyme and Powassan are also carried by ticks but are not known to be spread by Wyoming ticks.

Tularemia is a rare infectious disease that is highly contagious and potentially fatal. It can be treated effectively with antibiotics if it is diagnosed early. When exposed to tularemia, most people will become sick within three to five days, but sometimes it can take up to 21 days for symptoms to occur. Tularemia symptoms include skin ulcer at the site of the bite, fever, swollen, painful lymph glands, chills, headache and exhaustion.

RMSF is the most severe illness carried by ticks in the United States. It is a bacterial infection that can cause severe damage to internal organs such as your kidneys and heart. Most people will become ill within a week after exposure, but sometimes it may take up to 14 days to show symptoms.

RMSF responds well to quick treatment with antibiotics. Symptoms of RMSF include a spotted rash, high fever, chills, severe headache, muscle aches, nausea and vomiting, confusion or neurological changes.

CTF is a rare viral disease with symptoms that usually last for about a week before resolving their own. Onset is sudden and generally occurs about five days after an infected tick bite.

Symptoms mimic those of flu and include chills, headache, light sensitivity, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite, muscle aches and pain, fever and rash. Treatment is aimed at managing symptoms with acetaminophen to relieve headaches and fever.

The best prevention in contracting a tick-borne illness is by preventing tick bites from occurring. You can take the following precautions to avoid being bitten by a tick.

Wear long sleeves and pants that are light-colored. Tuck your pant legs into your socks. This method keeps ticks from getting to your skin, and the light color makes ticks easier to spot.

Use an insect repellent containing at least 20% or more DEET or picaridin. Clothing that has been permeated with permethrin is also helpful in deterring ticks. As soon as you return from the outdoors, check yourself and your family members for any ticks and remove them promptly. Do the same for your pets.

If you find a tick, remove it with tweezers by grasping it near the head, don’t squeeze, crush or twist the tick, but pull carefully and steadily. Once you’ve removed the tick, clean the bite area thoroughly with alcohol or soap and water.

You may want to save the tick in case you become ill. Write the date of the bite down, so you’ll remember when it occurred. Wash your hands thoroughly after disposing of the tick.

You may hear of other methods for tick removal, such as applying Vaseline or using a match. These methods are ineffective and may irritate the tick causing it to release even more infected fluids.

You’ll want to contact your healthcare provider if you cannot remove a tick completely, you develop a rash or sore at the site of the tick bite, develop flu-like symptoms or believe the bite has become infected. When possible, bring the tick with you to the appointment with your healthcare provider.

Dr. Wesley Davis is an Emergency Nurse Practitioner at Crook County Medical Services District and Coordinator of the Family and Emergency Nurse Practitioner program at the University of South Alabama. He encourages readers to send their questions to [email protected]