Spending time outdoors means exposure to bugs like ticks and Macomb County health officials are sounding the alarm when it comes to protecting yourself against the parasites.
Officials say ticks are active in Macomb County and throughout Michigan. The parasites tested positive for the bacteria that causes Lyme disease in the county in 2023, 2022 and 2021, officials said. Results of 2024 tests are not yet available.
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Ticks, which are most active during the summer, can attach to any part of the human body but are often found in hard-to-see areas such as the groin, armpits and scalp.
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In most cases, the tick must be attached for 36 to 48 hours or more before Lyme disease can be transmitted, officials said. So doing a full-body check to find and remove ticks after spending time outdoors is important. Officials said ticks should be removed by grasping the tick with fine-tipped tweezers as close to the skin as possible and pulling upward with steady, even pressure.
If someone is bitten by a tick that is suspected or confirmed to be a blacklegged tick, his or her healthcare provider should be contacted, officials advised. Not all species of ticks carry diseases, but tick-related diseases like Lyme disease can be serious or fatal if not properly diagnosed and treated.
Symptoms of Lyme disease include fever, headache, and fatigue, officials said. Many people, but not all, will get a characteristic “bull’s-eye” skin rash. If untreated, infections can become serious. Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with antibiotics.
How to avoid tick exposure before going outdoors:
- Know where to expect ticks. Ticks are commonly found on low forest vegetation, often along human and animal trails.
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and tuck pants into socks, and boots or shoes instead of sandals.
- Treat clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin or obtain permethrin-treated clothing and gear.
- Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents.
After spending time outdoors:
- Check your clothing for ticks. Any ticks that are found should be removed. Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing after you come indoors.
- Examine gear and pets.
- Check your body and your child’s body: under the arms, in and around the hair and ears, inside the belly button, the waist and back, back of the knees and between the legs and pelvic area.
- Shower within two hours of coming indoors to wash off unattached ticks.
More information on prevention can be found here.