March 19, 2024
Annapolis, US 36 F

Maryland Ticks: Fall Lyme Disease Risk Still High

Fall Ticks and Lyme disease evolve medical clinics Annapolis Arnold Severna Park Edgewater Davidsonville Gambrills Crofton Bowie Glen Burnie Pasadena

 

Fall Ticks and Lyme disease evolve medical clinics Annapolis Arnold Severna Park Edgewater Davidsonville Gambrills Crofton Bowie Glen Burnie Pasadena

Fall Lyme Disease Risk Still High 

Lyme disease by month Evolve Medical Clinics Annapolis Edgewater Davidsonville Arnold Severna Park Gambrills
Click to enlarge

Checking for ticks in fall? You should. Although the baby ticks (nymphs) are gone, the adult ticks begin to search more for mammals–particularly deer and people.  Nearly 10,000 new cases of Lyme Disease are diagnosed in September and around 5,000 are diagnosed in November. This update on Maryland tick’s and Lyme disease tells you what you can do to keep you and your family tick and Lyme free through the fall.

Maryland's tick problem: prevent Lyme disease from Evolve Medical provides primary care and urgent care to Annapolis, Edgewater, Severna Park, Arnold, Davidsonville, Gambrills, Crofton, Waugh Chapel, Stevensville, Pasadena and Glen Burnie.
Nymphs and larvae feed in spring/summer but adults feed through fall and anytime it is above freezing!

Bad Ticks

The kind of ticks that carry Lyme are pictured to the right. Although the nymph ticks are tiny, the adult deer tick is still small. In fact, in up to 50% of cases of confirmed Lyme disease, the victim never even saw a tick. 

“Even in the fall, a serious, involved and focused check for both adults and kids whenever they come indoors from high risk areas.” Dr. Michael Freedman of Evolve Medical.

Keep in mind: Ticks can attach to any part of the human body but are often found in hard-to-see areas such as the groin, armpits, and scalp. 

How to remove a tick

  • Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s
    Maryland's tick problem: prevent Lyme disease from Evolve Medical provides primary care and urgent care to Annapolis, Edgewater, Severna Park, Arnold, Davidsonville, Gambrills, Crofton, Waugh Chapel, Stevensville, Pasadena and Glen Burnie.
    Grasp as close to the surface of the skin as possible.

    surface as possible to grasp as close to the surface as possible.

  • Pull upward with steady, even pressure.
  • Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin.
    • If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
  • Clean the bite area
    Maryland's tick problem: prevent Lyme disease from Evolve Medical provides primary care and urgent care to Annapolis, Edgewater, Severna Park, Arnold, Davidsonville, Gambrills, Crofton, Waugh Chapel, Stevensville, Pasadena and Glen Burnie.
    Pull upward without twisting.

    and your hands with soap and water.

  • Dispose of a live tick by submersing it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag/container, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet.
  • Never crush a tick with your fingers.

Other ways to remove ticks, such as using a hot match head or painting the tick with nail polish, gasoline, or other materials, are not advised. Such treatments can cause the tick to release more fluids back into the bite.

Lyme Rash

Lyme disease symptoms can be grouped by early (within 3-30 days after a tick bite) and late (days to months after the tick bite). The rash of Lyme occurs in 80% of infected people, usually at the site of the tick bite within 3-30 days. It is circular, warm but not usually painful.

Early symptoms:

  • Red expanding rash (bullseye or solid)
  • Flu-like symptoms: 
    • Headache
    • Fatigue
    • Fevers
    • Chills
    • Muscle aches

Late symptoms:

  • Bells (Facial) PalsyMaryland's tick problem: prevent Lyme disease from Evolve Medical provides primary care and urgent care to Annapolis, Edgewater, Severna Park, Arnold, Davidsonville, Gambrills, Crofton, Waugh Chapel, Stevensville, Pasadena and Glen Burnie.
  • Swelling of a large joint (such as knee)
  • Severe neck stiffness or headache
  • Additional expanding red rashes (bullseye or solid)
  • Heart palpitations or irregular heart beats
  • Dizziness or shortness of breath which comes and goes
  • Shooting pains, numbness or tingling in hands and feet
  • Problems with short-term memory
  • Pain in tendons, muscles, joints, and bones which comes and goes

Lyme in Maryland

Maryland's tick problem: prevent Lyme disease from Evolve Medical provides primary care and urgent care to Annapolis, Edgewater, Severna Park, Arnold, Davidsonville, Gambrills, Crofton, Waugh Chapel, Stevensville, Pasadena and Glen Burnie.
Cases of Lyme are in grey and estimated “real” number of cases in green (CDC)

Lyme disease has dramatically increased over the last 3 decades from near zero to at least 38,468 cases. The CDC estimates that actual cases of Lyme may be closer to 230,000 to 461,000 (6-12 times greater than reported).

At the same time, the risk for Lyme is not spread evenly in the US. In Maryland's tick problem: prevent Lyme disease from Evolve Medical provides primary care and urgent care to Annapolis, Edgewater, Severna Park, Arnold, Davidsonville, Gambrills, Crofton, Waugh Chapel, Stevensville, Pasadena and Glen Burnie.fact, the image on the right shows that most of the risk is from Maryland through New England (and parts of Wisconsin/Minnesota).

Prevent tick bites

Ticks can be present all year long–even in the winter. As long as the temps are above freezing, they can be active. 

  • Avoid wooded and bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
  • Walk in the center of trails.Maryland's tick problem: prevent Lyme disease from Evolve Medical provides primary care and urgent care to Annapolis, Edgewater, Severna Park, Arnold, Davidsonville, Gambrills, Crofton, Waugh Chapel, Stevensville, Pasadena and Glen Burnie.
  • Repel Ticks with DEET or Permethrin
  • Use repellents that contain 20-30% DEET on exposed skin and clothing.
  • Use products that contain permethrin on clothing.
  • Treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks and tents with products containing 0.5% permethrin.
  • Remains protective through several washings.
  • Pre-treated clothing is available and may be protective longer.
  • Find and remove ticks from your body.
  • Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors (preferably within 2 hours).
  • Conduct a full-body tick check using a hand-held or full-length mirror.
    • Parents should check their children for ticks under the arms, in ears, belly button, behind knees, between the legs, around the waist, and especially in their hair.
  • Examine gear and pets.
    • Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine pets, coats, and day packs.
  • Tumble clothes in a dryer on high heat for an hour to kill remaining ticks.

What to do after a tick bite

Lyme disease is not usually transmitted within the first 36-48 hours hours of tick attachment. The likelihood of transmission is increased if the tick is engorged and/or has been attached for at least 72 hours. If you have had a tick bite, Dr. Freedman says, “Get seen right away. It’s easier to take 2 tabs of Doxycycline than to deal with Lyme disease later.”

Other tick-related illness seen in Maryland

Same or similar ticks are now known to carry other disease such as Ehrlichia, RMSF, Babesiosis and other disease. Below are a few of the other tick-related illnesses that have been found in Maryland more and more regularly over the last decade.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF)

  • Rash of RMSF spreads from hands/feet toward the trunk.
  • Rash varies greatly from person to person in appearance, location, and time of onset.
  • About 10% of people with RMSF never develop a rash.
  • Rash begins 2-5 days after fever starts
  • Rash spreads from hands/feet toward the trunk.
  • The red to purple, spotted rash of RMSF is usually not seen until the sixth day or later after the fever.

Making this diagnosis is very important as RMSF is a serious illness that can be fatal in the first eight days of symptoms if not treated correctly, even in previously healthy people, according to the CDC. 

Tularemia

Ulcer forms at the site of bite and is accompanied by swelling of lymph glands, usually in the armpit or groin. There are several different types of symptoms depending on the infected area and these range from Typhoidal (generalized) to primarily involving eyes, lungs, throat or skin.

Ehrlichiosis

Maryland's tick problem: prevent Lyme disease from Evolve Medical provides primary care and urgent care to Annapolis, Edgewater, Severna Park, Arnold, Davidsonville, Gambrills, Crofton, Waugh Chapel, Stevensville, Pasadena and Glen Burnie.
Ehrlichiosis cases have risen dramatically in the last 15 years.

Number of Ehrlichiosis cases has risen dramatically in the last 15 years.
According to the CDC, the kind of tick that carries Ehrlichiosis has not been clearly established. In fact, 50% of people who are diagnosed do not even recall a history of a tick bite. Further, “Ehrlichiosis” is term broadly applied to several different kinds of bacteria (Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Ehrlichia ewingii and Ehrlichia muris-like.)

The illness of Ehrlichiosis usually begins around 1-2 weeks after the tick bite. Rash occurs in only 30% of adults (up to 60% of children) Rash is similar to RMSF and may appear after the onset of fever.

Symptoms associated with this Ehrlichiosis include the following:

  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Chills
  • Malaise
  • Muscle pain
  • Nausea / Vomiting / Diarrhea
  • Confusion
  • Conjunctival injection (red eyes)

On a final note, it is important to remember that even after November and through the winter months, it is possible to get a tick and get Lyme disease or any of the above. Ticks will become active any time the temperature is above freezing so stay aware!

If you have any questions or have been experiencing any of the above symptoms, see your primary care physician immediately or visit Evolve Medical. Same day scheduling on-line here or call 844-322-4222. Or email them at [email protected].

If you find these health and wellness updates helpful, follow Evolve Medical on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Google+.

Maryland's tick problem: prevent Lyme disease from Evolve Medical provides primary care and urgent care to Annapolis, Edgewater, Severna Park, Arnold, Davidsonville, Gambrills, Crofton, Waugh Chapel, Stevensville, Pasadena and Glen Burnie.
Evolve Medical provides the Highest Rated Primary Care and Urgent Care to Annapolis, Edgewater, Severna Park, Arnold, Davidsonville, Gambrills, Crofton, Waugh Chapel, Stevensville, Pasadena and Glen Burnie.
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