Spring, Mid-Summer and Fall are high season for ticks. With the warm weather, those animals that serve as hosts to ticks are more active, making them more able to spread.
According to the Cuyahoga County Board of Health (CCBH), who monitors tick-related diseases under its Vector Control Program, there are nine different types of ticks found in the United States. Luckily, only the Blacklegged, Lone Star and Dog Ticks are the ones that commonly bite humans. The most prevalent in this area, as well as in the whole eastern half of the United States and the west coast, is the American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis). This tick is known to transmit the Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, which can be severe or even fatal. Other tick species in Ohio include the Blacklegged Tick or Deer Tick (Ixodes scapularis), Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum) and the Brown Dog Tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus).
According to The Ohio State University Extension College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences “three tick species in Ohio are medically important because they are disease vectors: the American dog tick, the blacklegged tick (commonly called the deer tick), and the lone star tick. The brown dog tick, although uncommon, is the only tick that can become established indoors in homes with dogs and kennels.”
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) stated that “the disease is caused by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii. This organism is a cause of potentially fatal human illness.” Typical symptoms of this disease include headache, fever, abdominal pain, muscle pain and vomiting. A rash may also develop, but not necessary within the first few days.
The other tick that can transmit a disease is the adult Black Legged Tick, also known as the Deer Tick. This is the tick that is responsible for the transmission of Lyme Disease. According to the CDC, Lyme Disease and other arthropod-borne diseases, which are spread by ticks, fleas and mosquitos, have tripled in the last 12 years. Ohio is among the states with high rates of infection.
According to the CDC, the following are symptoms:
Early Signs and Symptoms (3 to 30 days after tick bite)
Fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes.
Erythema migrans (EM) rash occurs in approximately 70 to 80 percent of infected persons; begins at the site of a tick bite after a delay of 3 to 30 days (average is about 7 days); and expands gradually over a period of days reaching up to 12 inches or more (30 cm) across; may feel warm to the touch but is rarely itchy or painful; sometimes clears as it enlarges, resulting in a target or “bull’s-eye” appearance; may appear on any area of the body.
Later Signs and Symptoms (days to months after tick bite)
Severe headaches and neck stiffness; additional EM rashes on other areas of the body; Arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling, particularly the knees and other large joints; Facial palsy (loss of muscle tone or droop on one or both sides of the face); Intermittent pain in tendons, muscles, joints, and bones; Heart palpitations or an irregular heart beat (Lyme carditis); Episodes of dizziness or shortness of breath; Inflammation of the brain and spinal cord; Nerve pain; Shooting pains, numbness, or tingling in the hands or feet; Problems with short-term memory.
The cause of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme Disease are transmitted in the saliva of the tick. “The long period between attachment and commencement of feeding is important to the prevention of infection. Early detection and prompt removal of the tick will help to prevent infection.,” according to the CCBH.
The following are guidelines to help prevent tick bites, according to the CCBH:
“-Check your pets daily before they enter the house for the night. Purchase tick collars for pets and change them every three months.
-Remove piles of leaf litter, clear brush from around your house, and keep the grass mowed.
-Dress in light colored, long-sleeved garments. Spray insect repellent containing DEET on clothes and on exposed skin other than the face. Treat clothes (especially pants, socks, and shoes) with Permethrin, which kills ticks on contact.
-When walking through brush, tuck pant legs into boots or socks and stay in the middle of the path to avoid contact with plants.”
If you or your pet does get a tick, with tweezers, get as close to the skin and grip the tick by the head. With the tweezers parallel to the skin, gently pull until the tick releases. Immediately wash the skin with soap and water and apply an antiseptic. Save the tick for identification. If flu-like symptoms or a rash develops, call the doctor immediately.

By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer