Tick-Tock
The threat of so many diseases carried by ticks is scary, it seems every year as soon as summer hits all the news stations, papers, and news sites have another horror story of the various diseases that are threatening us this year transmitted via ticks. So, with all these stories and news alerts which ones should we in Connecticut be worried about? I will dive into this question and others in this month’s blog, in hopes to shed some light on the often confusing and always scary stories we hear from the media.
- Which ticks are in New England?
- Black-legged Tick also known as the Deer Tick
- American Dog Tick
- Lone Star Tick
- What diseases are these ticks known to transmit?
- Black-legged Tick:
Lyme Disease, Human Babesiosis, Human Anaplasmosis, Flavivirus, Powassan Virus - American Dog Tick:
Rock Mountain Spotted Fever (rare), Tularemia (rare) - Lone Star Tick:
Human Ehrlichiosis, Tularemia
Both the Black-legged Tick and American Dog Tick are the more common of the three here in Connecticut, and of the two the Black-legged Tick is of the most concern. Each year ticks are collected and tested in the
Bottom Line?
Use every precaution to avoid getting ticks on you, if enjoying summer activities that put you in areas prone to ticks, do a “tick check” at the end of the outing and if found on your person, remove it immediately. If you think you may have been exposed to a tick that could transmit one of these pathogens, go get tested. You can also send specimens in for examination and pathogen testing. Getting your property treated professionally can drastically reduce the amount of ticks in your yard and property line, with numbers of 90%-95% fewer ticks it is well worth the cost for treatment.
I have provided links to the state website with PDF Format pamphlets for information on Ticks in Connecticut, Tick Prevention, Tick Treatment, Disease Transmission, and other Tick related information. Click below to open them in a new window. Stay safe and enjoy your summer!
http://www.ct.gov/caes/lib/caes/documents/publications/fact_sheets/entomology/american_dog_tick_fs.pdf http://www.ct.gov/caes/lib/caes/documents/publications/fact_sheets/entomology/repellent_fact_sheet_new_format_2015.pdf http://www.ct.gov/caes/lib/caes/documents/publications/fact_sheets/entomology/deer_&_ticks_fact_sheet.pdf http://www.ct.gov/caes/lib/caes/documents/tick_testing/tick_summary_2017.pdf