Greater threat from ticks in eastern Ohio

Greater threat from ticks in eastern Ohio, state reports

By Bob Downing 
Beacon Journal staff writer

Published: October 20, 2012 - 12:14 AM | Updated: October 21, 2012 - 12:51 AM

Female blacklegged tick on a leaf.Blacklegged ticks were once considered rare in Ohio, but the state now has likely established populations in 26 counties, most east of Interstate 71 where deciduous forests are present. These small, dark ticks are known transmitters of Lyme disease and remain active throughout the year, including the fall and winter when temperatures are above freezing(John Pogacnik photo)

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The tick that can transmit Lyme disease is becoming more established and a growing threat in Ohio, two state agencies reported Friday.

The Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources issued a joint warning against the blacklegged tick as deer-hunting season approaches.

The tick, also known as the deer tick, rarely was seen in Ohio before 2010.

Now Ohio likely has established populations in 26 counties, mostly east of Interstate 71. Locally, that includes Summit, Stark and Wayne, the state said, but not Portage or Medina.

The forest-living ticks — small, dark in color and hard to detect — remain active throughout the year, including fall and winter when temperatures are above freezing.

Lyme disease generally is characterized by a bull’s-eye-type rash that appears seven to 14 days after someone is bitten. Symptoms can include muscle aches, fatigue, fever, swollen glands, headaches and joint pain.

If left untreated with antibiotics, the bacteria can cause arthritic-type symptoms and cognitive impairment that can be chronic, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Ohio has recorded 36 cases of Lyme disease this year. There were 53 cases in the state last year, with three in Stark County and one in Wayne.

To infect a human with Lyme disease, the tick must bite its host and hang on for 36 to 48 hours to transmit the disease-causing bacteria.

Here’s what the two state agencies advise for prevention and treatment:

• People outdoors, including hunters, should spray outer clothing with a permethrin-based repellent and allow the spray to dry. Once dry, the clothes should produce no odors.

• Pants should be tucked into socks or boots and shirts into pants to keep ticks on the outside of clothing.

• All clothing should be carefully inspected for small, dark, crawling ticks before entering vehicles or going indoors. Ticks are difficult to spot on camouflage clothing.

• Once indoors, thoroughly check for attached ticks. Remove them as soon as possible to reduce the risk of contracting tick-borne disease.

• To safely remove ticks, use tweezers or fingers protected with rubber gloves. Grasp the tick as close to the human skin as possible and pull straight up with steady, even pressure.

• Do not use petroleum jelly, fingernail polish, alcohol, cigarettes, matches or other methods to kill or stimulate the tick to back out. These methods do not work, delay proper removal and might be dangerous, the two agencies said.

Save the tick in a sealed plastic bag and record the day of removal.

If one seeks medical attention, bring the bagged tick, the state agencies said.

For more information on ticks and Lyme disease, go to www.bit.ly/OHticks andwww.cdc.gov/lyme.

Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 orbdowning@thebeaconjournal.com.