![]() ![]() But if you do, remove the tick within 48 hours to limit your chances of getting Lyme disease. You might not even notice the tick or its bite. Tiny immature ticks that are about the size of a poppy seed also bite.ĭeer ticks infected with the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi can cause Lyme disease in people, dogs, and cats. Reddish-brown adults like the one shown here are only one-eighth of an inch long. Even if you don’t see a tick, call your doctor if you develop a rash, fever, chills, or headache after you’ve been in an area that could have ticks.Īlso called black-legged ticks, deer ticks are common in woods and grassy areas across the eastern United States. Get the tweezers as close as possible to your skin, pull the tick steadily upward to remove its body (including its mouth parts), and wash the bite and your hands well. If you’ve been bitten by a tick and it’s embedded in your skin, the best way to remove it is with fine-tip tweezers. After being outdoors, carefully inspect your own skin and that of your pets for ticks or tick bites. If you’re walking on a trail, stay in the center so that you’re not touching plants or the tips of branches where ticks hide. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants, and choose light-colored clothing so you can spot ticks right away. Treat clothes and gear with products containing 0.5 percent permethrin. (An EPA search tool can help you find what you need). On your skin, use insect repellent containing DEET or other ingredients registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The best way to avoid Lyme disease and other infections is to prevent tick bites. Not only can these blood-sucking bugs cause Lyme disease but they're also responsible for infections like Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and ehrlichiosis. ![]() Ticks of concern in the United States include deer, brown dog, American dog, lone star, Rocky Mountain wood, Gulf Coast, and western black-legged ticks, according to the CDC. And ticks that carry disease appear to be growing in number and covering a wider geographical area as our climate changes, notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Don't let their small size and inconspicuous nature fool you: Ticks can give you or your pet harmful infectious diseases, including Lyme disease.
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