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First Aid for Tick Bites

Oklahoma ticks *include the:

    

Lone Star tick	American Dog tick - male	American Dog tick - female	Blacklegged    tick or Deer tick

 

Most ticks are capable of transmitting a variety of diseases, including Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Lyme Disease, and even Tularemia.

If you become ill following a recent tick bite, call a physician promptly!

For more information go the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Avoiding Ticks

• When walking in a wooded or tick-infested area, wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, a cap or scarf on the head, and tuck pants legs into socks.

• Wear light-colored clothing on which the ticks can easily be seen.
• Examine all the family members and pets for ticks after outings in tick infested areas.
• Examine pets frequently for embedded ticks. Don't handle ticks. Disease may be transmitted by improper removal and disposal.

Diseases Carried by Ticks

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is a disease transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected tick. There is no person-to-person spread of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

• What are the symptoms of Rock Mountain Spotted Fever?
  
  • Fever
  • Severe Headache
  • Fatigue
  • Deep Muscle Pain
  • Chills
    Rash - typically starts on the wrists and ankles but quickly spreads to the rest of the body.
    
    
• How soon do symptoms of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever appear?

  Symptoms will appear within two weeks of the bite of the tick.

• How can Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever be treated?

  Antibiotics are used to treat Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium that some ticks may carry. It is believed to be transmitted only after the tick has bitten and fed on a person for several hours. Lyme disease sometimes shows up shortly after the tick bite with a "bull's eye" rash around the bite location. Symptoms are quite variable, and may not appear from weeks to month. Untreated Lyme disease can affect many systems, including the heart, joints, and nerves. Early treatment can often prevent problems.

What are the symptoms of Lyme Disease?

Heart palpitations, pulse skips, heart block, shortness of breath, cough Eyes/vision: double, blurry, pain, increased floaters Dizziness Rash at bite site or other sites Unexplained fevers, sweats, chills

Fatigue, Swollen glands, Sore throat Upset stomach or change in bowel function Chest pain or rib soreness Joint pain or swelling Muscle pain or cramps Headache Ears/hearing: buzzing, ringing, ear pain

How soon do symptoms of Lyme Disease appear?

Symptoms usually appear between one or two weeks of being bitten by the tick but may appear as soon as three days or as long as 30 days after.

How can Lyme Disease be treated?

Certain antibiotics are used against Lyme Disease.

For more information about Lyme Disease go to the American Lyme Disease Foundation, Inc.

Tularemia Disease

Tularemia is caused by one of the most infectious pathogenic bacteria known. It is most often transmitted to people from infected wild rabbits. Natural reservoirs of infection include rodents, squirrels, rabbits and hares. Tularemia is transmitted by handling or eating undercooked, infected wild rabbit meat or by bites from infected ticks. Can also be contracted by contamination of the skin or linings of the eyes, nose, or mouth with blood and tissues from infected animals. Methods of transmission include drinking contaminated water, breathing dust particles from contaminated soil or from handling contaminated skins of infected animals.

What are the symptoms of Tularemia?

• Lesions and swollen glands

• Intestinal pain, throat infection, diarrhea, and vomiting (if ingested)

• Muscle aches

• Fever, chills, headache

How soon do symptoms of Tularemia appear?

Symptoms will appear between two and ten days after being bitten.

How can Tularemia be treated?

Antibiotics are used to treat Tularemia.

 

First Aid for Tick Bites

To remove the tick, use tweezers, if available. Grasp (don't squeeze) the tick as close to the skin as possible and remove     with a steady slow motion, pulling straight up.

 

                                                                               photos from Center for Disease Control

• Seed ticks may be removed with the same shampoo that is used for treating body lice. Consult your pharmacist. Another method for removing seed ticks involves the use of 2" masking tape. Place the adhesive side over the tick and slowly peel off. This will frequently remove the tick.

• Do not use bare hands to remove the tick. Wash hands thoroughly after removing the tick.

• Be very careful not to crush the body of the tick, as that may cause it to inject its stomach contents into the wound.

• After removing the tick, examine the bite area for any tick parts remaining in the wound. A magnifying glass may be helpful. Contact a physician for head removal.

• Wash the area thoroughly with soap and water.

• Mark the date of the bite on the calendar.

• In any flu-like symptoms, such as fever, muscle pain, extreme fatigue, headache, chills, joint pain, swollen glands, or a rash, develop at the site of bite within three days to two months after the bite, see your physician. Lyme disease symptoms may not develop for up to two months.

DO NOT

• Do not use a match to make the tick move.
• Do not cover the tick in any cream or Vasaline, as it will make removal difficult.
• Do not handle the tick with your bare hands.

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The Oklahoma Poison Control Center web site is provided free of charge to the public as an informational and educational tool. This web site is NOT intended as a substitute for a consultation with the Oklahoma Poison Control Center. The center is a statewide program operated by The University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy in cooperation with Children's Hospital at the OU Medical Center. Our pharmacists and nurses are specially trained poison experts available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.