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For Immediate Release:
Aug. 6, 2007

Contact:
Nanci Gonder
Office of Public Information
573-751-6062

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) is urging Missourians to take extra precautions to protect themselves against tick bites as the numbers of tick-borne disease cases continue to increase at rates that have public health officials concerned. Because tick-borne diseases can be debilitating and even deadly, it is important for people to know what to do to prevent bites and how to safely remove imbedded ticks.

According to DHSS data, reports of ehrlichiosis continue to remain elevated compared with case counts over the previous five years. As of July 30, reports of ehrlichiosis had risen to 100 cases, compared with the five-year median of 38 cases for the same period. In addition, reports of Rocky Mountain spotted fever have risen to 177 cases, an increase of 186 percent over the five-year median of 62 reported cases through that date. Tularemia and Lyme/Lyme-like disease reports also have risen this year by 46 percent and 64 percent, respectively. Further, ticks can remain active (hunting blood meals) through the fall months and even into early winter if average temperatures remain above freezing. It usually takes a hard freeze to drastically reduce tick activity.

“Because more people are getting tick-borne diseases, and because there still is a lot of time left in the year for ticks to be active, we want to get people’s attention and urge them to be very careful in protecting themselves from tick-borne disease,” said Howard Pue, State Public Health Veterinarian. “Tick-borne diseases can be very serious, even deadly, so we urge everyone to be extremely cautious.”

Tick Bite Prevention Tips

Avoid tick habitat like wooded and bushy areas with high grass and a lot of leaf litter.
If entering a tick area, walk in the center of the trail to avoid overgrown grass, brush and leaf litter.
Wear long pants, long sleeves, and long socks to keep ticks off your skin. Light-colored clothing will help you spot ticks more easily. Tuck pant legs into socks or boots, and tuck shirts into pants to keep ticks on the outside of clothing.
Use insect repellents containing from 20 percent up to 50 percent DEET on exposed skin and clothing.
Products containing permethrin are also effective, but are to be used on clothing only. Permethrin kills ticks on contact and one application to pants, socks and shoes typically stays effective through several laundry washings. Read instruction labels carefully before applying any repellents.
Do a tick check and remove ticks from your clothing before going indoors. To kill any remaining ticks, wash your clothes with hot water and dry them using high heat for at least one hour.
Perform daily tick checks after being outdoors, even in your own yard. Inspect all parts of your body carefully, including armpits, scalp and groin.

Tick Removal Steps

Remove a tick from your skin as soon as you notice it. Use fine-tipped tweezers to firmly grasp the tick very close to your skin.
With a steady motion, pull the tick’s body way from your skin.
Clean your skin with soap and warm water. Throw the dead tick away in the household trash.
Avoid crushing the tick’s body. Do not be alarmed if the tick’s mouthparts remain in the skin. Once the mouthparts are removed from the tick’s body, disease bacteria can no longer be transmitted to you.
If you accidentally crush the tick, clean your skin with soap and warm water, or with alcohol.
Don’t use petroleum jelly, a hot match, nail polish, or other products to remove a tick.

“Some of the increase in tick-borne disease is the result of increased recognition and reporting. However, other factors such as more people spending more times outdoors, ecological and environmental changes, and more homes being built in former forest or farm land are also contributing to an increase in the incidence of tick-borne disease,” said Pue. “In addition, changes in wildlife habitat and human land use can favor tick reproduction and increase their range, density, and likelihood of human interaction. Usually, people become infected with tick-borne diseases when they enter an established focal area where a tick-borne disease has been established and is cycling between animal hosts and their ticks,” he added.

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