Winter has finally passed. We are all looking forward to spending time enjoying the sunshine and warm weather activities. Unfortunately , the warm weather has awakened the tick and mosquitoe populations.
Lyme Disease is a bacterial infection caused by the bite of an infected deer tick. For most people that contract Lyme Disease, they will find evidence of a rash at the tick bite site. It is important for you to note that there are exceptions. You could be infected with the bacteria and not have the bulls eye rash. If you experience symptoms of a fever and general body aches anywhere from three to thirty days after being exposed to ticks, contact your health care provider. A blood test will be conducted to determine if you have contracted Lyme Disease, the most common tick borne illness, or one of the rarer tick borne illnesses.
The majority of Maine Lyme Disease cases have occurred in York County, 58%. Because it is difficult to predict the risk of being exposed to Lyme disease, one should assume that there is at least some risk for anyone participating in outdoor activities across northeastern United States.
A word of caution from the Maine Bureau of Health:There is much misinformation concerning the prevention and treatment of Lyme Disease . For your safety, we are encouraging you to log onto the Center of Disease Control web site or the State of Maine Bureau of Health site. You will obtain the most current and reliable information.
If you should find a tick, remove it immediately with tweezers. Please do not try to light it with a match or use household chemicals on it. You will burn yourself. Remember a deer tick is the size of a pencil point.
Precautions to take when you are outdoors: Wear long sleeved shirts and pants. Tuck your pant legs into your socks and loosely tuck your shirt into your pants.Ticks have a harder time reaching your skin if they have to work around the folds of your clothing. Wear a hat.
If you use repellants, follow the directions carefully.Do not apply over cuts,or a rash. Do not apply the repellants directly on your face. You do not need to apply them on your skin that will be covered by clothing. NEVER allow children to apply repellants onto themselves. It is wiser to use a a lower dose more frequently than to expose yourself to a high chemical dose.
Since most of us will not want to wear long pants and shirts on a hot August day, the most important step that you can take is to closely examine yourself and loved ones after being outdoors. Do not assume that since there are no deer sightings in your area that there are no ticks. Mice, chipmonks and domestic animals carry the ticks that have fallen off of the deer. All ticks carry the potential of exposing us to infection. Remove them immediately. Wash the affected area with soap and water. Observe the site for redness, increase heat and swelling over the next few weeks. Contact your health care provider if you have any concerns.
West Nile Virus is a potentially very serious disease that affects the central nervous system. This virus is carried by mosquitoes that have been infected when they feed on an infected bird. Relatively few mosquitoes actually carry this disease. Less than 1% of people who are bitten by mosquitoes develop any symptoms.
If you should find a dead bird: Do not handle the body with your bare hands. If the bird is a crow, raven or jay report the finding to the Maine Bureau of Health at 1-888-697-5846. From late June until late October the Maine Bureau of Health will selectively test dead corvids from different areas of the state for West Nile Virus infection.
Approximately 80 % of those who are infected with West Nile Virus show no symptoms. Mild sympotoms incude fever, headache and body aches, vomiting, sometimes swollen glands or a rash on the chest, stomach and back. These symptoms last three to six days. Rarely a person will experience severe symptoms which include a high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. These symptoms may last several weeks . The neurological effects may be permanent.
It is important to reduce mosquitoe breeding grounds around your home. Mosquitoes love standing water. Empty, your birdbath every few days, drain the kiddy pool when not in use, remove unused tires and flower pots, rid the yard of tall grass areas.. Do a standing water yard check weekly. If you would like more information on environmentally friendly methods to reduce your exposure to mosquitoes contact the Kennebunkport Public Health Office at 967-4401 and ask for one of our informational packets.
Mosquitoes are most active at dawn and sunset. Try to reduce the amount of time you are outdoors during this time frame. When outdoors we encourage the use of repellants. It is wiser to use a lower dose of repellant frequently than to expose yourself or loved ones to high doses. We encourage you to wash the repellant off as soon as one can when coming indoors. Do not apply directly on your face. NEVER allow children to apply the repellant onto themselves. There are a huge number of repellants on the market. Everyone needs to find the one that works best for them.
REMEMBER: The Kennebunkport Public Health Department is here to help you. Please do not hesitate to contact us at 967-4401. We provide services seven days a week. Any message left on our answering machine after 6 PM will be returned the following morning.
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