You may be asked to see your healthcare provider for a blood test to check for Lyme or another tick-related disease.Or it may move up your arms and legs to your chest)Ī "bull's eye" rash is a common symptom of Lyme disease.īe sure to tell your provider about your recent tick bite, when the bite occurred, and where you most likely acquired the tick. Rash (This may spread outward in a ring from a hard, white lump.Call your healthcare provider if you notice any of the following: Symptoms may show up in a few days or weeks after a bite. If you remove a tick yourself, watch for signs of a tick-borne illness. Aches and pains such as headache, extreme tiredness (fatigue), and muscle aches.Symptoms of tick-related diseases vary depending on the disease. Put a live tick in alcohol, a sealed bag or container, or down the toilet.After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.Pull without twisting and don't crush the body.Grasp the tick near its head as close to the skin’s surface as possible.Try to carefully remove the tick with tweezers.Ask your veterinarian about the best tick-prevention products for your four-legged friends.Ī tick that attaches to you may infect you, depending on the type of tick and the germs it carries. Be sure to use hot water and high heat to kill any lingering ticks.Ĭonsider tick prevention for pets. Ticks also tend toward belly buttons, the neck, hairline, top of the head, and behind your ears. Look for ticks often on your joints and in crevices like your underarms, backs of the knees, and in-between fingers and toes. This can wash away ticks before they become fully attached to your skin.ĭo a skin check. Please note that products containing permethrin can be sprayed only on clothing, not on your skin. Dress appropriately to prevent and identify ticks by wearing light-colored fabrics hats or head scarves long sleeves pants with the legs tucked in your socks closed-toe shoes. Finally, deter stray and wild animals with fences or makeshift barriers.Ĭlothing Counts. If your home borders the woods, keep recreational areas as far from the trees as possible, and consider a 3-ft barrier of wood chips or gravel to prevent ticks from making their way to your lawn. Stack wood tightly and in dry areas to discourage rodents (and therefore ticks). Keep your grass routinely mowed and free of leaf debris. The good news is that ticks are largely avoidable with the right precautions. The warmer months when we typically spend more time outdoors are when ticks are most active in our region. Having pets that can bring the ticks into your home.Working or spending time outdoors in grassy areas where the blacklegged deer tick or Western blacklegged deer tick is found.Factors that can increase your risk for getting Lyme disease include: April through October is generally the most active tick season. Lyme disease is a year-round problem in many parts of the U.S., including certain areas in Northern Michigan. While it cannot be passed from person to person, it does lead to serious health problems such as joint pain and flu-like symptoms if it goes untreated (typically with antibiotics). Lyme disease is a tick-borne bacterial infection. Though not as common as other Michigan ticks, this tick can survive indoors and carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The woodchuck (or groundhog) tick rarely bites humans but is typically found on pets throughout Michigan and transmits Powassan virus disease.īrown dog tick. Its painless, often unnoticed bite rarely leaves a mark – but it can cause a temporary red meat allergy. Known as an aggressive biter, this breed has recently become more prevalent in Michigan, feasting on both animals and humans. Especially prevalent along the West Coast of Michigan, including many Northern Michigan counties, the blacklegged tick can transmit Lyme disease as well as other notable infections such as Anaplasmosis and Babesiosis. Though rare, the American dog tick can spread diseases like Rocky Mountain spotted fever.īlacklegged tick. Despite its name, this tick will bite both pets and humans. Michigan’s five most common ticks include:Īmerican dog tick. Of the 800 species of ticks, only a small fraction is known to transmit diseases to humans. While hard ticks will attach and feed for several hours or even days, soft ticks often feed for less than one hour, transmitting diseases more quickly. It’s the microbes in their saliva that travel into the bloodstream and carry illnesses such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Tick bites themselves aren't usually cause for concern. Common Michigan Ticks and Diseases They Spread
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