Avoiding Diseases Caused From Tick Bites

Health Matters: Tick Diseases

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It’s the busiest time of the year for ticks and with that comes the threat of serious diseases.

Lyme disease is just one of the illnesses that can be transmitted by deer ticks.

Last year there were around 1,500 new reported cases of Lyme disease in Minnesota alone.

I talked to a doctor at Essentia about what to look for to ensure you’re safety.

“They are kind of scary if they’re not found right away,” says Ann Peterson.

Ann Peterson of Fargo takes her 7-year-old granddaughter to parks in the area throughout the summer.

She’s aware that ticks are nearly everywhere this time of year.

“It’s very important to check, check, check,” Peterson says.

But what she and many others don’t know is that a tick bite can lead to several diseases.

“Lyme disease is an infection caused by tick bites and there’s other infections caused by the same tick including anaplasma and babesia,” says Dr. Augusto Alonto, an infectious disease doctor at Essentia.

Dr. Alonto says that deer ticks are the “only” type that can be potentially dangerous and they are much more common in Minnesota than in North Dakota.

“There are areas in Minnesota that are prevalent for these types of infections. So the southeastern part of Minnesota, North Central Minnesota,” Dr. Alonto says.

And the reason diseases are more common during summer is because deer ticks are in their nymph, or early, stage and are too small to see.

“The adult ticks are bigger so when they bite in the fall you can see them right away,” says Dr. Alonto.

So, if you do get a deer tick there are specific signs to look out for.

“Most people who develop Lyme disease after a tick bite will develop a rash. If the rash isn’t seen, then there’s other symptoms that can happen so fevers, chills, just weakness,” says Dr. Alonto.

And if you do show any of these symptoms, see a doctor as soon as possible.

“People who have those types of symptoms soon after a tick bite should be evaluated,” he says.

Dr. Alonto recommends wearing clothing that covers your skin and applying DEET to your clothes when you’re headed to any wooded or grassy area. He also stressed that standard wood ticks pose no threat.

For more information about these diseases, head to www.essentiahealth.org.