BUFFALO (WBEN - Brendan Keany) - An increase in tick populations equals an above average number of of reported Lyme disease cases, and that's exactly what Erie County Health officials are predicting for this summer.
"We anticipate that we're going to be seeing a large number of Lyme disease cases this summer because we are seeing reports of many ticks found in the community," said Erie County Health Commissioner Gale Burstein.Burstein notes that this may be a good summer to keep as much clothing on as the temperatures allow, in order to reduce exposure. She also explained that a well maintained yard, which includes cut grass and trimmed hedges can help reduce the ticks on your property. If it's a really hot day, Burstein recommends a bug spray with a high concentration of deet and to make sure that you perform regular tick checks in the arm pits and groin areas.
If you do find a tick on your body...
"You want to make sure that their mandibles are all removed," said Burstein, explaining how to properly remove one. "You want to get tweezers and straddle the tick's body between the two tweezer heads, and then you want to rock it back slowly back and forth and back and forth until you remove the tick."She did note that people shouldn't panic if they find a tick, especially if they're positive that it hasn't been attached for too long.
"The good news is that if you do find a tick latched on, you can be reassured that the tick needs to really be on about 36-48 hours at least to be able to transmit the bacteria that causes Lyme disease," she said. "The most common symptom that signifies Lyme disease is a specific rash - it looks like bullseye with a central clearing - so if you see that and you, or someone in your household, accompanied with a fever, aches and pains and maybe some GI symptoms, you should talk to your healthcare provider about getting treatment."
According to Burstein, 50 percent of adult ticks and 20 percent of baby ticks carry the bacteria that can lead to Lyme disease.
