WUPHD warns against ticks, mosquito-borne disease

By RICHARD JENKINS

rjenkins@yourdailyglobe.com

HANCOCK — As the weather warms up, the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department is warning residents of potential diseases they can get from ticks and mosquitoes.

Ticks live in grassy, bushy or wooded areas, according to the health department, and can be active any time there are multiple days in a row where temperatures are above 32 degrees.

They can carry a variety of diseases — including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tulameria and anaplasmosis — a health department spokesperson said, with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services identifying the presence of the blacklegged tick that carries the Lyme bacteria in much of the Western U.P.

Lyme disease can happen after a tick, generally a deer tick, that’s infected with the Lyme bacteria bites a person or animal. The tick must be attached to 24-48 hours before the bacteria is transmitted, which is why prompt removal is very important.

Cases of Lyme disease have increased in the U.P. in recent years, according to the health department, so residents are encouraged to take steps to protect themselves and their animals.

To protect against tick-borne diseases, people are encouraged to do the following:

—Knowing where ticks live and that spending time outside can potentially bring a person in close contact with ticks.

—Avoid contact with ticks by walking in the cetner of trails and avoiding contact with overgrown grass or brush.

—Treat their clothing and gear with products containing .5% permethrin.

—Use EPA-registered insects repellants that contain DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of eucalyptus, or other appropriate products.

—Check their clothing for ticks after returning inside, as well as gear and pets. Dry clothes can be put in a dry on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks.

People should also check themselves for ticks that have attached themselves and shower soon after coming inside.

Anyone who knows they’ve been bitten by a tick should monitor themselves for symptoms for at least 30 days after exposure, including a bullseye rash and flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, nausea, fatigue, and muscle aches.

Secondary symptoms — such as heart and nervous system problems, meningitis, facial paralysis or Bell’s palsy, or pain — can develop weeks or a month after the initial tick bite. People should contact their physician if symptoms develop.

Free tick testing kits are available at health department offices, although people need to call ahead as the offices are closed to walk-in traffic due the COVID-19 pandemic. Ticks need to be alive to be tested for Lyme bacteria.

Additional information about ticks can be found at cdc.gov/ticks, wuphd.org, and michigan.gov/emergingdiseases.

Eastern equine encephalitis

Another disease the health department is warning about is Eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, which is spread by infected mosquitoes.

Michigan had an outbreak of EEE last year that involved involved three people and 41 animals across 18 counties — including Baraga and Marquette counties.

Michigan has had EEE outbreaks about once a decade since the state’s first human case was reported in 1980.

EEE is one of the most dangerous mosquito-borne diseases in the country, according to the health department, and has a 90% fatality rate among infected horses.

Most humans who get infected after being bitten by an infected mosquito don’t show symptoms, with only 4 to 5% of infected cases presenting symptoms and less than 1% developing a serious illness, such as encephalitis or meningitis. Of those that develop a serious illness, roughly a third die from the disease.

Steps to reduce the chances of being infected by the disease include:

—Using EPA-registered insect repellant.

—Wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors.

—Maintaining window and door screens to keep mosquitoes out of the house.

—Eliminating possible mosquito breeding areas by removing standing water.

—Using nets or fans when eating outdoors

—Avoiding handling or consuming animals that appear sick.

For more information on EEE, visit michigan.gov/emerging diseases or the Eastern Equine Encephalitis page on the CDC’s website.