By Connor Boyd
BLOOMINGTON – As the weather warms up and people begin to spend more time outside it is important to take precaution against tick and animal bites that can cause illness. Illnesses such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, tularemia, babesiosis and ehrlichiosis. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reminds residents of simple prevention tips for avoiding illness.
IDPH Director Nirav Shah says Lyme disease must be taken seriously, “As with any disease, it does carry a fatality rate, thankfully with Lyme disease most cases can be easily treated with just a couple weeks of antibiotics, but the key is to get in there and get diagnosed, and treated as quickly as possible.”
The best method to remove a tick from your or your pet’s skin is, “You take fine-tipped tweezers and grasp the tick as close as you possibly can to the surface of your skin and you pull straight-up with even pressure.” Shah added, “Don’t try to twist, that will cause the mouth parts of the tic to break off and remain in the skin.”
Shah says taking a cigarette lighter to your child’s skin is not the safest way to remove a tick. “Any of those other old fashioned, folklore remedies like painting the tic with nail polish or Vaseline, as you mentioned, or using heat. Even if they work, which were not sure if they do work, what they all require is more contact with the tic and your body.”
Simple tips to avoid tick bites include walking in the center of trails, wear insect repellent and cover your body with protective clothing.
