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Dealing With TICKS in Nebraska's Park and wildlife Areas
Welcome to Nebraska State parks, recreation areas, State Historical parks and wildlife areas.
To enjoy all aspects of the park, you and your family will be following trails or recreating
in and around the grass, weeds, trees, creeks and ponds, and following trails throughout the area.
While here you may attract an unwanted guest and it is important that you know the proper methods of finding and removing ticks from yourself, your companions and your children to prevent problems associated with tick bites.
Though ticks are known to be potential carriers of several different diseases such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, the chances of being bitten by an infected tick are slight.
However, it is wise to be cautious and take precautions to prevent problems associated with tick bites.
Lyme disease is probably the most well known of the tick-borne diseases and is transmitted through the bite of an infected deer tick.
Lyme disease is caused by a coiled bacterium
passed to its victim as the tick draws blood.
In most parts of the country, Lyme disease is spread by the tiny deer tick which is considerably smaller than the dog tick commonly encountered by Nebraskans.
The adult is about the size of a sesame seed and ranges in color from mottled brown to shades of mahogany and black.
The deer tick does not occur in Nebraska. Very small ticks which occur in Nebraska and do feed on people are typically the Lone Star tick.
Lone Star ticks are commonly only found in southeast Nebraska and are also suspected to transmit a form of Lyme disease.
Ticks live in grassy and wooded areas and feed on small and large animals, such as mice, shrews, birds, raccoons, dogs, opossums, deer, horses and, occasionally, humans.
The Lone Star tick lives in wooded areas and adjacent grasslands, exactly the same areas that people like to explore and enjoy in the outdoors.
Numbers of ticks are generally related to the population of wildlife in the area since that is what they normally feed on.
The tick bite is not painful, the tick is so small its presence often goes unnoticed.
In most cases, the tick simply bites, draws blood for nourishment, and drops off.
If the tick happens to be infected with the Lyme disease, it may transmit it during the feeding process.
It is important to realize that a tick bite does not always result in Lyme disease.
If a tick is in fact infected with the bacteria, the risk of transmission is related to the duration of the attachment and feeding, the greater the possibility that transmission could occur.
This is what makes the frequent examination for ticks important. Prompt removal eliminates the risk of transmission.
Lyme disease is a debilitating infection that is passed from the tick to its victim as the tick draws blood from the victim's body.
The disease varies in severity. If diagnosed early, it is easily treated witrh oral antibiotics. Among the most identifiable early symptoms is a distinct red rash present in 60 to 80 percent of Lyme disease patients.
Some victims exhibit small red bumps about the size of a quarter that may be warm to the touch.
A bullseye-shaped red rash as much as 20-inches in diameter around the bite develops a few days later in some cases.
Other common symptoms are similar to those associated with the flu-- headache, chills, nausea, sweating, stiff neck, aching joints, fatigue and painful jaw when chewing.
Left untreated, Lyme disease may affect the heart and nervous system. Heart arrhythmias, meningitis, enciphalitis or a partial paralysis called Bell's palsy may develop.
It may also cause pain in joints, tendons and muscles. The third stage can become evident several months after infection.
It is typically characterized by slurred speech and rheumatoid arthritis.
Some victims have central nervous system problems, including weak, aching arms and legs, and extreme fatigue.
HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO HELP YOU AVOID BEING BITTEN BY A TICK
Wear protective clothing-such as long-sleeved shirt, long pants tucked into the tops of the socks, and a hat.
Don't wear sandals or other open footwear in tick habitat. Wear light-colored clothing because ticks are easier to see against a light-colored background.
Spraying insect repellent on the outsides of the clothing may also help. When walking in natural areas, check your clothes frequently for ticks.
Check closely, the nymph or larval form of the Lone Star tick are so small they may be mistaken for a speck of dirt, a tiny particle of vegetation or even a freckle.
When you are outdoors, check yourself and your children for ticks every four to six hours. Check again when you go indoors.
Don't leave possibly infested clothes where ticks can crawl off and invade your home.
Remove all clothing, shower, and examine yourself for ticks, especially exposed, hairy areas, especially the scalp.
Launder clothes immediately when you return or keep them sealed in plastic garbage bags until they can be cleaned.
Ticks will drop off clothing hung outside, but check clothes thoroughly before wearing them again.
Tick repellent sprayed on shoes, cuffs and pants legs offers protection.
If you locate a tick, remove it as soon as possible.
The best way to remove a tick is to use a pair of small tweezers. Do not spueeze the tick's body.
Grasp it where its mouthparts enter the skin and tug gently, but firmly, until it releases its hold on the skin.
The tick's barbed mouthparts will not let go easily, so take your time and be patient. When the tick lets go, wipe the bite area thoroughly with an antiseptic or alcohol.
Save the tick in a jar labeled with the date, the location of the bite on your body, and the place where you think you acquired the tick.
Your doctor may find this information and the tick specimen helpful in diagnosis if a rash or other symptoms of Lyme disease subsequently appear.
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