Beware of summertime's ticking time bombs

Ticks are an inescapable part of life throughout the continental United States and southern Canada.

Being bitten by a tick is inevitable for anyone who enjoys the outdoors.

All we can do is take steps to minimize the number of times we become a tick’s unwilling host.

No hunter, fisherman, hiker, birdwatcher or wild edibles gatherer will make any effort to stay out of prime tick habitat.

That leaves the far less effective tactic of making life as frustrating for ticks as possible.

Begin by applying repellent containing 95 percent DEET directly on your skin or on your clothing.

If wearing camouflage or dark-colored clothing isn’t an essential part of what you’re doing outdoors, opt for light-colored clothing.

Light colors are not only less attractive to ticks, but the bugs are easier to see and remove from light-colored clothes.

Color notwithstanding, wear long pants, long sleeved shirts and boots with at least 12-inch uppers. Keep each item tucked into the item below it because ticks tend to crawl uphill.

But what happens if you decide there’s no need for a defense against ticks, and you don’t mind pulling them out of your thick hide for several days after every outing? Probably nothing.

If you encounter the wrong tick, you might find yourself attached to one of several possible ticking time bombs.
Lyme disease

Despite continued denials by some experts, the Missouri citizens who are suffering from this disease remain convinced it does exist here.

Lyme disease is caused by a spirochete bacterium, but it’s transmitted to humans by deer ticks. Contrary to what many people once believed, larval ticks — known as seed ticks in the Midwest — are the most common culprits.

Lyme disease usually begins with a rash that appears at or near the location of the bite three to 30 days later. Sometimes the center of the rash fades, leaving a bull’s-eye pattern.

The rash may burn, hurt or itch. Other early symptoms include fever, chills, headaches, stiff neck, fatigue and muscle aches.

Left untreated, Lyme disease can spread to the heart, brain, nervous system and joints.

Tularemia

There are several ways to contract tularemia, one of which is being bitten by an infected tick of any species found in the Midwest.

Symptoms, which usually begin somewhere between three and 14 days after being infected, include sudden fever, chills, headaches, diarrhea, muscle aches, joint pain, dry cough and progressive weakness.

Tularemia is a serious disease. So much so that the bacterium that causes it has been considered as a source for a WMD.

Ehrlichiosis

Ehrlichiosis is another bacterial infection spread by deer ticks, dog ticks and the Lone Star tick.

Symptoms include fever, chills, malaise, headache, muscle and joint pain, nausea and diarrhea.

Most cases are mild, but untreated Ehrlichiosis can progress into seizures, difficulty breathing and coma.

Babesiosis

Fortunately, babesiosis is rare because it can be fatal.

It’s a blood infection caused by a parasite that lives primarily in deer ticks.

Babesiosis can be asymptomatic, but symptoms often include high fever, chills, sweating, tiredness, joint and muscle aches, poor appetite and headache. This disease has been diagnosed in Missouri.

I’m sure you’ve noticed that the symptoms of all of these tick-borne diseases are virtually identical to those of the flu.

This unfortunate coincidence leads many people to delay seeking medical attention, and it causes some doctors to be reluctant to order the battery of tests necessary to isolate which bacterium is present or to prescribe the proper course of antibiotics.

If you think you may have a tick-borne disease, seek medical help immediately, and don’t be shy about insisting that the possibility of a tick-borne disease is thoroughly explored.