Avoid insect-borne diseases this summer | Health

There are many diseases that can be transmitted by insects such as ticks and mosquitoes. We spoke to Dr. Bobbi Pritt, a Mayo Clinic Pathologist, Lyme Disease and West Nile Virus – two vector-borne diseases prevalent in the United States. Read on to find out why Minnesota Lyme Disease is the worst. prevention of bites. "

Lyme disease is therefore a big concern at this time of year.

"It is the number one vector-borne disease in all of North America." Of all things transmitted by insects, mosquitoes and ticks, Lyme disease is the largest. "

What are some of the symptoms of Lyme disease (Borrelia Burdorferi)?

"On the site of a tick bite, you often get a small red mark.This does not necessarily mean that you are infected, but if that red mark gets bigger and bigger – this often looks like a target – it's the classic symptom that people will see.But this is not always seen … If you see this, it's worrying and you want to go to your doctor right away. Other symptoms that a person with Lyme disease may have are fever, joint pain, muscle aches or simply … do not feel good in general.One of those In summer, you want to check for tick-borne disease. "

You have found a new form of Lyme disease in Minnesota, is not it?

"Yes, we called it Borrelia mayonii after the Mayo Clinic … … it actually has unusual symptoms." The rash is spread out, she usually does not have that pretty bull's eye, and you can have multiple spots all over your body.Our patients with Borrelia mayonii were also very sick.Not only fever, but really, really deep tiredness, where they could hardly stay awake.Some had double vision and some have even been hospitalized for short periods … … it's something we need to watch in this part of the country. "

Let's say there is a coachman on your post-wood trip. What should you do?

"Taking a shower can help you, you get rid of it and do a thorough check this way. The CDC recommends that, it is probably a little easier to find ticks. You want to be sure to check out areas that might be hard to see, like your scalp and your back. … If you see a ticking on you, and it gets stuck in your skin – what we call "recessed" – you want to remove it as soon as possible. … The best way is to take tweezers, grab the tick as close as possible to the skin and gently remove it. Do not twist it, do not crush it. … If you damage the tick, you … could force some organisms inside your system, so you could increase the risk of infection. The other thing is, is in our area, because we have certain areas with a high level of Lyme disease, you might want to save the tick to bring to your doctor – especially if it's really , really swollen. If she has been tied for 36 hours or more, she will be really engorged with blood, and that is a risk factor for Lyme disease, because the tick has to feed for 36 hours or more to transmit the bacteria. of Lyme disease. If it's really swollen, the recommendations are to take the tick, put it in a plastic bag and then bring it to your doctor and tell the doctor that she was on you. .. they will probably prescribe an antibiotic to prevent Lyme disease.

What should you do if it looks like a recent bite?

"If you are in an endemic area and you bite all the time, you can just throw the tick – throwing it in the toilet, is probably the surest way to get rid of it. What I tell people to avoid, it is these folk remedies to get the coachman.

There are things you can do that will probably remove the tick, as you can put petroleum jelly on it, or burn it with a match, or put some nail polish on it. But these are not really recommended, as this could harm the tick, again, and increase your chances of getting infected. And it's going to take longer. … Some of the viruses that ticks can also transmit can be transmitted as quickly as in 15 minutes. If you find a check on you and it's integrated, you do not want to wait to get home. … just try to remove it right away. "

Let's go to mosquitoes. To what extent should hikers be worried about West Nile virus?

West Nile virus is present in all states. … most people do not even know that they are infected or have a very mild illness. About 10% of people suffer from a more serious illness, and it can even be so serious that you can die. It can attack your brain and cause a lot of damage – even partial paralysis. … it's seen in less than one percent of people who contract the infection. "

What are the most benign symptoms of West Nile virus?

"It would be like what we consider a flu-like illness – fever, fatigue, headaches, body pains – honestly, it's like a tick-borne disease, and so we think of them together. You may have a transient eruption on your body, and it will go away on its own. "