4 tips for keeping ticks that carry diseases

Since 2014, the Eau Claire Health Department has been participating in a tick surveillance project in two rural parks to evaluate the percentage of ticks infected with Lyme disease. In 2017, grant funding extended the tick surveillance project to two other parks in the city. With over 40% of the deer / bear ticks collected in the Eau Claire region parks infected with Lyme disease, it is clear that the disease is in our community. Lyme disease is the second most common notifiable communicable disease in Eau Claire County. It's in our backyards, our parks, our trails … and we have to talk about how to prevent it.

The tick that is the main concern in Wisconsin is the deer tick; It is also called blacklegged tick or bear tick. The reason that the deer tick is the most worrying tick in Wisconsin is because of the large number of diseases that it can transmit. It can spread anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease and Powbadan virus. The disease that causes the largest number of patients in Wisconsin is Lyme disease.

Lyme disease is caused by bacteria that ticks contract as a result of the bite of animals already suffering from Lyme disease. They can then transmit the disease to people. A tick should be tied for 24-48 hours to give you Lyme disease, which is why it is really important to catch ticks early.
With so much benefit for the mental and physical health badociated with being in the wild, we want to promote protection against tick bites so you can continue to enjoy the outdoors. Before gardening, camping, hiking or just playing outside, make tick bite prevention part of your outdoor projects.
You can take several steps before you protect yourself from ticks:

Protect your dog or cat from ticks

Not only can they become sick with Lyme disease and other transmitted diseases by ticks, but they can also bring ticks and other pests into your home. Because you are inside your home, you normally can not think of looking for ticks and you might not notice them for a while. You can talk more with your veterinarian about flea and tick preventive medications that can protect both your pets and you.

2. Treat clothing with 0.5% permethrin solution

Permethrin is the only insect repellent that also kills ticks. Treat clothes before wearing and allow them to dry completely. Permethrin lasts several washes in your washing machine.

3. Wear appropriate clothing.

Even when it's hot, it's important to cover as much skin as possible – so wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt to keep ticks on the outside of your clothes. It is also important to wear light colored clothing. This brings out a dark tick against your clothes and makes it easier to spot and remove quickly. Wear closed-toed shoes and slip your pants into your socks when you go out; it is therefore difficult for ticks to slip into your shoes or your legs and keep your ticks on the outside of your clothes.

4. Apply an insect repellent.

Apply repellents according to the instructions of the label. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control recommend the use of repellents containing DEET, picaridin and / or permethrin on clothing. DEET is safe for people over 2 months old. Put the repellent on the children, apply it for them. Do not apply on their faces or hands. If you prefer not to use DEET, permethrin or picaridine, the Environmental Protection Agency has a list of insect repellents known to be effective in repelling ticks on their website, including more "natural" options such as eucalyptus lemon oil and BioUD. ] For more information on tick-borne and mosquito-borne diseases, please visit the Eau Claire Health Department website or contact us at (715) 839-4718.