Ticks and Tickborne Illnesses

Tickborne illness are a constant concern of residents because of diseases that can affect both humans and livestock. Tickborne diseases are closely tied to the specific tick hosts and so understanding which ticks are present in an area can help to identify the risk of tickborne disease.

In Virginia, there are several tickborne illnesses that can affect humans, most notably Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and ehrlichiosis. These diseases can result in serious illnesses and in rare cases, death.

Of all the tickborne diseases in Virginia, Lyme disease is probably the most one that garners the most attention and that is not without reason. The number of Lyme diagnoses in Virginia has been increasing, while other illnesses have maintained a relatively constant level of prevalence and currently Lyme is the most diagnosed tickborne disease in residents of the Commonwealth.

Regardless of the tick, there are several practices that can be employed to reduce the risk of tick bites. These practices include:

• Before heading out to the field:
  • Wear pants and long-sleeved shirts that are light colored, to help keep ticks off of your skin and make ticks easier to spot on your clothing.
  • Tuck pant legs into socks to keep ticks from getting on your legs.
  • Apply a repellent containing DEET to shoes, pant legs.
  • Other long-lasting, Permethrin based insecticidal repellents also provide some protection from ticks, however, their effectiveness is reduced with time and washes.
  • Use tick preventatives on pets and livestock, pets can bring ticks indoors.
• When in the field:
  • Avoid areas where ticks may be especially common
  • When traveling on trails walk near the center to avoid contact with vegetation that can harbor ticks.
  • Periodically do quick checks of body and clothing for ticks.
• Once home:
  • Thoroughly check yourself, children and pets for ticks, paying special attention to folds in skin, hairlines and areas where there was a constriction from clothing (e.g., waistbands). Use a fine-toothed comb to check hair.
    • Check frequently, and ideally daily, many tickborne diseases are not transmitted until the tick is embedded for at least a day.
  • Promptly remove, wash, and dry clothing using hot settings.
  • Take a shower to help remove unseen ticks.
• If you do find an embedded tick, use steady, upward motion to pull a tick until it releases. Use tweezers to grasp and pull the tick by the head as close to the skin as possible. Do not pull from the body.
  • Once removed, clean the area with antiseptic.
  • Identify the tick and/or save it for later identification, testing of ticks is not recommended.
  • Record the date of exposure and if you become sick, tell your doctor about the tick bite.

Additionally, there are other practices that can be done to properties that can help to reduce the number of ticks that are found in an area, which can reduce the risk of tick bites for humans, pets and wildlife in the area.

Sources for more information include these websites:

• Ticks and Tickborne Diseases in Virginia
  • Virginia Department of Health Tick information Page: This site has information about tick-borne diseases in Virginia, and includes information about the number of cases that are diagnosed each year.
• Ticks and Tickborne Diseases in the eastern United States
  • Northeast Center for Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases: This is user-friendly site that provides a lot of useful information about ticks that affect the Northeast but also Virginia.
  • Centers for Disease Control: A federal site that provides comprehensive information about tickborne diseases in the United States, including those that affect Virginia.

Publications and informational flyers include: