The CDC shares a horrible picture to warn that "ticks can be as small as a poppy seed"

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warn Americans to be looking for ticks this summer, even while eating a tasty pastry.

On Wednesday, the agency shared on Facebook the photo of a poppy seed muffin, followed by an enlarged photo, revealing that some of the "seeds" were actually ticks.

"Ticks can be as small as a poppy seed," says the CDC. & # 39; There are 5 ticks on this picture. Can you spot them? Learn to prevent tick bites and protect yourself.

Social media users said en mbade that the photo had ruined their appetite and discouraged muffins.

The CDC posted Facebook on Wednesday morning photos of a poppy seed muffin and then enlarged the top of the muffin (above)

"Well, thank you for destroying for me poppy seed muffins – forever!" a user wrote.

"I'll never be able to look at a lemon poppy seed muffin in the same way …" another commented.

Others joked that the risk of tick exposure was severely reduced if people ate other types of muffins.

& # 39; Increase your ability to quickly [identify] ticks by eating only blueberry or banana muffins! a user wrote.

This is not the first time the CDC warns people of the tick season by sharing the same two photos on Twitter last May.

After many said they were "disgusted", the agency sent out a second tweet that said, "Sorry, we checked some of you!"

Tick ​​exposure is more common from April to September and often occurs in grbady or woody areas.

There are about 850 tick species in the world, but only 90 are in the United States.

Most ticks do not grow more than five millimeters, which means that about three can fit on their fingertips.

Health experts recommend treating clothing, shoes and equipment with repellents approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, such as DEET.

"Ticks can be as small as a poppy seed," wrote the agency, and asked users if they could spot the five ticks in the photo.

DEET, which stands for diethyltoluamide, is the most common active ingredient in insect repellents. It was believed that chemicals blocked the receptors of insects attracted by a substance present in human breath and sweat.

However, recent evidence has shown that insects are actually repelled because of the smell of the chemical.

Last year, Dr. Neha Vyas, a family physician at the Cleveland Clinic, told DailyMail.com that two other ingredients contained in certain repellents, picaridin and IR3535 – developed in the 1980s – also contribute to the prevention insect bites.

The CDC recommends showering within two hours indoors to help wash loose ticks and reduce the risk of contracting diseases such as Lyme disease.

If you find a tick buried in your skin, the easiest way to remove it is to use a fine-tipped tweezers. Once the tick is removed, clean the area with rubbing alcohol or water and soap.

It takes between 36 and 48 hours after a tick is installed to infect the host.

Last year, the CDC reported that the number of tick-borne diseases – including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever – has increased from 48,610 cases in 2016 to 59,349 cases in 2017.