KEY MESSAGES

(Click on the box to the left for more information from the Vermont Department of Health)

• Avoid areas where ticks are common

• Use EPA -registered insect repellents on clothing and skin. See box below for Environmental Protection Agency recommendation for tick and other insect repellents. There is a tool you can use to filter products by active ingredient.

• Cover up to keep ticks off your and your child's body (boots, long sleeves, long pants, hats!)

• Check your whole body and your child's body daily. See box below left for pictures of Lyme Disease carrying ticks. Ticks like to hide in warm places so make sure you check behind the ears, the bellybutton, groin area, armpits, around waist. Use a mirror or a friend to look in hard to reach places!

• Shower after being outside - this is also a good time to check for ticks.

• Remove ticks as soon as you find them. YOU CAN DO THIS! Don't wait to go to the ER or your doctor's office to have the tick removed. Ask a friend to help if you can't reach it yourself. Click on box below to see information from the Centers for Disease and Prevention about how to remove a tick.

• Consult your healthcare provider if you think the tick was in place for more than 36 (a day and a half) and ask if they recommend any preventative treatment at that time.

• Watch for signs of tick-born illness and call your healthcare provider if you develop a rash, fever, chills, or joint pain within a few weeks after you have a tick bite.

  • Go to https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/signs_symptoms/index.html for more information on Lyme Disease signs and symptoms