THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 2, 1996 TAG: 9605310227
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 32 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Jack Dempsey
LENGTH: 70 lines
It's difficult to suggest a single attitude toward Outer Banks ticks and the diseases they may transmit.
On the one hand, chances are small that a you'll get a disease from the ticks you pick up here. So you shouldn't stay up nights worrying.
On the other hand, the diseases people occasionally do get from ticks are serious and deserve prompt medical care. So they should be taken seriously.
Perhaps the healthiest attitude holds simply that ticks are undesirable little creatures. Contact with them should be kept to a minimum, just to be safe.
Ticks thrive on blood meals from warm-blooded animals such as mice, rabbits, squirrels and deer. If a human or pet happens to pass by, however, they'll grab on for a tasty feast that lasts days.
Minimizing contact begins with pets, especially dogs, that bring ticks home to share with their owners. Local veterinarians rave about the tick-repelling qualities of the prescription Preventic collar.
During foot travels in nature, keep exposed skin to a minimum and spray clothing liberally with a commercial repellent. Most brands provide at least some protection.
Most importantly, check yourself after each exposure, especially ankles, the genital area and the scalp.
Don't panic if you find an embedded tick. Even if it's an infected one, which is unlikely, it takes hours to transfer the infection to you. So just remove it.
Ignore those who advise holding a lighted cigarette to its backside. Although that works occasionally, it more frequently just gives you char-broiled tick, still embedded.
Dr. James Wilkinson of Beach Medical Care advises simply pulling it out gently, but firmly, grabbing it by the head as close to the skin as possible. Use tweezers or at least tissue paper. Wash the bite area and your hands thoroughly.
If part of the head remains in the skin, dig it out with a sterilized needle. Apply over-the-counter ointment to control minor infections and reduce itching.
Usually that does it. But you should remain alert for those unusual cases.
Of the dozen different types of ticks on the Outer Banks, only two may carry the two diseases visitors have the greatest chance of contracting. Not all of those ticks are infected, though, and they can't pass on what they don't have.
The two diseases Dr. Wilkinson has treated here are Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease. The first is carried by the relatively large American dog tick and the second by the tiny, hard-to-spot deer tick.
Symptoms nearly always appear within 30 days of the bite. But they are difficult to describe because they differ from person to person and vary over time.
Lyme disease generally begins as a ``bull's-eye'' rash around the bite - red on the outside and clear in the middle. Rocky Mountain spotted fever's rashes usually develop on the ankles and wrists. They are red rashes with black ``spots.''
As the disease progresses, there may be flu-like symptoms, fever, headaches, stiff neck, general discomfort, fatigue or arthritis-like pain. The diseases last indefinitely and occasionally result in death.
Many infected ticks are removed before they infect their hosts. And even if they do infect you, reasonably prompt antibiotic treatment is very effective.
Remember, we're dealing with a small risk of a serious, treatable problem.
Take precautions, enjoy your vacation, and seek medical care if needed. MEMO: Jack Dempsey has a doctorate in public health from Johns Hopkins
University and has published two books on health care. His columns are
based on interviews with area health care providers. ILLUSTRATION: [Drawing of tick] by CNB