2013 Tick Time
It’s Tick Time...
Residents and visitors to Allenstown are reminded that tick season has arrived, and people should take precautions to prevent being bitten and potentially exposed to Lyme disease and other illnesses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 22,561 cases of Lyme Disease in the United States in 2010. There were 1,301 cases of Lyme disease reported in New Hampshire in 2011. Of these, 108 were reported in Merrimack County.
Ticks can transmit Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Symptoms vary by disease, including fever, chills and fatigue.
How to avoid tick bites:
- Stay on trails outdoors; avoid areas of overgrown brush and tall grasses.
- Wear light-colored clothes so ticks can be easily seen.
- Wear a hat, long-sleeved shirt and long pants tucked into boots or socks.
- Check yourself often for ticks.
- Use insect repellant containing DEET or permethrin (follow directions).
Do you have a tick bite? The bite is usually hard, itchy and forms into lumps. A red, rash-like halo sometimes surrounds the bite and slowly spreads outward.
How to remove an attached tick?
- Remove the tick promptly. The sooner you remove it, the less chance of infection.
- Use tweezers to grasp the tick’s mouthparts at the surface of the skin.
- With a steady motion, gently pull the tick straight out.
- Wipe the bite area with an antiseptic or wash with soap and water.
- Be alert for symptoms of illness over the next 7 to 10 days.
- Do not squeeze the tick.
- Do not rub petroleum jelly on the tick.
- Do not use a hot match or cigarette to burn the tick.
- Do not pour kerosene or nail polish on the tick.
For more information: