March 2024: Lyme Disease

• Spring is approaching quickly, and many of us will be spending more time outside hiking and working in our yards. Children will begin outdoor sports and backyard play. Warmer weather promotes growth and vegetation, attracting more white-tail deer for ticks to feed on and use for transportation. Pennsylvania has the largest number of reported tick-borne illnesses in the United States, with Lyme disease being the most prevalent. This disease, if not caught or treated promptly, can have unpleasant, long-term sequelae such as joint pain and swelling, headaches, fatigue, and can even cause damage to major organs such as the heart, brain, and kidneys. 

• Please review these tips from the PA Dept of Health to help minimize the risk of tick exposure to you and your family:

• Permethrin Permethrin is an insecticide that can be applied to shoes, clothing and gear and kills ticks on contact. PA DOH recommends applying permethrin to shoes and clothes that you will be wearing outside to garden, do yard work or to engage in other outdoor activities. You may also purchase pretreated clothing. Permethrin can be found at department stores like WalMart and Target and sporting goods stores like Dick’s and Bass Pro Shop as well as online.

• Insect Repellent PA DOH recommends using an EPA approved insect repellent when spending time outdoors. Products containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus are all effective at preventing tick bites. 

• Tick Checks We recommend conducting tick checks regularly when spending time outdoors. Once inside, conduct a thorough tick check. Small children and older adults may need help with tick checks. A shower is also recommended to remove any ticks that may be crawling on skin and not yet attached. 

• Pet Tick Prevention Discuss tick prevention for pets with the pets’ veterinarians. Dogs can become ill with LD and any pets that spend time outdoors may bring ticks into their homes on their fur. While there are no known instances of cats being infected with LD outside a laboratory, cats can still become ill from other tick borne diseases. Cat owners should be sure to use tick prevention products specifically labeled for cats. 

• Preventing Ticks in the Yard Recommend keeping grass short and neat, tidying wood piles and moving them to the edges of the yard, trimming shrubs and cutting tall grasses and weeds, and placing mulch borders between the woods and the lawn.