OTTAWA — Illinois officials are urging residents to check themselves and their children carefully for ticks after spending time in wooded areas this spring. The Illinois Department of Public Health along with the LaSalle County Health Department announced that May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month. Ticks carry Lyme and other debilitating and sometimes fatal illnesses such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tularemia, Ehrlichiosis, and Babesiosis. Removing ticks within 24 hours reduces the risk of disease. Instructions for tick removal and awareness of symptoms are available on the IDPH website.
Simple tips to avoid tick exposure include:
1. Wear light-colored, protective clothing—long-sleeved shirts, long trousers, boots or sturdy shoes and a head covering. Tuck long pants into socks and boots.
2. Apply insect repellent containing 10 percent to 30 percent DEET primarily to clothes.
3. Use products that contain permethrin to treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks and sleeping tents. Or look for clothing pre-treated with permethrin.
4. Walk in the center of trails so weeds do not brush against you.
5. Check yourself, children, other family members and pets for ticks every two to three hours (especially ears, hair, neck, legs and between the toes).
6. Check outdoor pets often for ticks. Ticks can “hitch a ride” on pets and into your home. Tick collars, sprays, shampoos, or monthly “top spot” medications help protect pets against ticks.
If you find a tick attached to your skin, there’s no need to panic. Remove the tick as soon as possible to reduce your chances of getting an infection from the tick bite. The CDC recommends the following steps to remove a tick:
Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
Pull upward with steady, even pressure to remove the tick. Avoid twisting or jerking. If the mouthparts remain in the skin, leave them alone. In most cases, they will fall out in a few days.
Don’t use nail polish, petroleum jelly, or a hot match to make the tick detach. Clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
