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Summertime means canoeing, camping, and fishing for many people in the Ozarks.But it’s also a time for ticks. The menacing insect is in the spotlight again after a St. Louis man died from a tick-borne illness. KSMU’s Erika Brame spoke with health department officials about how to prevent tick bites, and how to watch out for symptoms of tick-borne illnesses.
Reporter: “The birds are chirping and the sun is shining. It's warm out here at the Nature Center. Everyone has come out to enjoy the beautiful scenery. But hiding amongst the tall grass is Missouri’s favorite pest: the tick.”
“Well if you have lived in the Ozarks very long you know that we are at risk for being bitten by ticks, here that’s a normal occurrence for us every year. And while ticks are typically seen after the last frost of the winter they can actually be found all year here in the Ozarks,” said Jaci McReynolds, spokeswoman for the Springfield-Greene County Health Department.
She says the best way to prevent tick bites is to protect your skin.
“If you’re going to be outside in areas where ticks live like tall grass or weeds or brush be sure to wear long pants, shoes, and socks. And be sure to tuck your pants down into your socks,” she said.McReynolds also recommends applying products with DEET to your clothing, but not letting it remain on your skin for a long time.
She says it takes about four hours for the tick to transmit the disease to a person’s body, so doing a “tick check” when you come indoors is a good idea.
“Go ahead and check for ticks on your body. They like to hide in places where the clothing is tight. So, such as around your socks or your waist band and also in places where your body is naturally warm. So, even in the arm pits or around the ears and in the hair,” she said.She says if you do find a tick on your body,don’t just rip it off with your fingers.
“The best way to remove a tick is to use tweezers. Grasp the tick as closely to your skin as possible and just pull it away with a steady motion, not a jerking or a twisting motion,” she said.
McReynolds says once the tick is removed, it’s important to keep an eye out for symptoms of a tick-borne disease.
“Some of the symptoms that you may experience when you have a tick bite that goes into a disease is a fever, severe headache or body ache, tiredness, possibly even chills or nausea. And often times you might also see a rash, it may be around the bite itself or it may start on other parts of your body,” she said.
Should you experience any of these symptoms after a tick bite, contact your doctor.For KSMU News, I’m Erika Brame.
LINKS: Springfield-Greene County Health Department
