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Based on this week’s weather forecast, we can’t quite retire the snow shovels this year, but warmer weather has been getting more consistent throughout April.
As we get outside more and enjoy our local grassy and wooded areas, let’s remember that it doesn’t come without risk. Deer ticks, known for spreading Lyme disease and other illnesses, are expected to be prevalent this spring, according to the National Pest Management Association.
A warm winter followed by a rainy spring tends to bring out ticks, along with other pests like mosquitoes and termites, across the country.
To compound matters, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Tick Surveillance and Testing Program has identified a rare but dangerous disease in more than 80 percent of ticks sampled at recreational areas across the state, including a site in Wyoming County.
Deer tick virus (DTV) is a form of Powassan virus, and symptoms may include fever, headache, vomiting and weakness. Some don’t experience symptoms at all, but for those who have severe disease, DTV can lead to infections of the brain or membranes around the brain and spinal cord, hospitalization and even death.
Then there’s Lyme disease, the much more well-known tick-borne illness that can cause symptoms of:
• Flu-like illness
• Join pain and swelling
• Headache
• Bell’s palsy or facial nerve paralysis
• Extreme fatigue
In early or late stages of infection, the disease can lead to inflammation of the membranes around the brain, facial paralysis and numbness and weakness of the muscles.
The sign most often associated with Lyme disease is the bullseye rash that can form around the site of the tick bite. But not everyone who has Lyme disease develops this distinctive rash, and the disease can be notoriously difficult to diagnose.
It is often confused with Alzheimer’s disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, ALS or depression, and tests for the infection can be unreliable. Your doctor may diagnose you based on your symptoms, health history and potential exposure to ticks.
Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics, especially when detected and treated early, but prevention is the best defense against Lyme disease and DTV, both of which can have serious and long-lasting impacts on your health.
If you live or regularly spend time in an area known for deer ticks:
• Wear long pants and sleeves while outside
• Use a chemical insect repellent with DEET, permethrin or picaridin
• Check yourself and your pets for ticks when you return indoors
• Shower soon after spending time outdoors
Ticks can gravitate toward hard-to-see places on your body, like your arm pits, groin or scalp, so be sure to inspect yourself thoroughly.
If you do find a tick or tick bite, remember that the tick needs to be burrowed in for a certain period of time to transmit Lyme disease. If you think the tick may have been on you for 24 hours or more, contact your primary care physician and discuss your risks.
Stay safe out there as the weather gets nicer, and enjoy the beautiful Northeastern Pennsylvania landscape.
Dr. Alfred Casale, a cardiothoracic surgeon, is chief medical officer for surgical services for Geisinger and chair of the Geisinger Heart Institute. Readers may write to him via [email protected].