\nImage: Adobe Stock.
\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIn a statement sent to the media, the CDC said ED visits for tick bites \u201care higher than normal in many parts of the country.\u201d The greatest spike is happening in the Northeast, followed by the Midwest, according to the tracker.<\/p>\n
Past CDC data show that tick bites that send people to the ED normally peak in May. <\/p>\n
\u201cTick season is here and these tiny biters can make you seriously sick,\u201d Alison Hinckley, PhD,<\/b> an epidemiologist in the CDC’s Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, said in the statement.<\/p>\n
Daniel Pastula, MD, MHS<\/b>,<\/b> chief of neuro-infectious diseases and global neurology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, called the CDC\u2019s notice on tick bites \u201ca warning for people to take preventive measures,\u201d such as wearing long sleeves and pants and using EPA-registered repellant in high-risk areas for ticks.<\/p>\n
Pastula speculated that warmer temperatures in March across the country have driven the increase in tick bites.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it warmed up earlier,\u201d he told Healio, \u201cthen the ticks came out earlier, and maybe that\u2019s what we\u2019re seeing. I can\u2019t say that\u2019s the 100% cause of this increase, but I\u2019m suspicious of that.\u201d<\/p>\n
In fact, 192 U.S. cities found that average temperatures in March were 5.8\u00b0F above normal, according to Climate Central, an independent nonprofit that reports on the impacts of climate change.<\/p>\n
Pastula said the current surge of dangerous tick bites does not mean it will continue throughout the entire season.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really hard to say that over the course of the year it\u2019s going to be bad, but right now we\u2019re seeing more tick bites being reported,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
The CDC estimates that 31 million people in the U.S. are bitten by a tick each year and approximately 476,000 patients per year are treated for Lyme disease, the most common tickborne disease in the nation.<\/p>\n
To prevent potential tick bites, the CDC recommends avoiding wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter. The agency also advises checking animals that go outside every day during warm weather.<\/p>\n
Pastula said a tick should be removed before it attaches, but if it does attach, it is important to detach it within 24 hours to help prevent Lyme disease.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s nothing fancy about this,\u201d he said. \u201cYou go with tweezers or fingernails, and you lift (the tick) straight out.\u201d<\/p>\n
To do this, the CDC recommends grasping the tick as close to the skin as possible.<\/p>\n
For more information:<\/h2>\n
Daniel Pastula, MD, MHS<\/b>, <\/b>can be reached at infectiousdisease@healio.com.<\/p>\n\n
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Sources\/Disclosures<\/h3>\n Source: <\/h2>\n
\nPress Release\n<\/p>\n
References:<\/h2>\n\n
\n Disclosures: <\/strong>
\nPastula reports no relevant financial disclosures.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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