AUGUSTA – The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) reminds Maine residents and visitors that ticks remain active well into the fall, despite dropping temperatures, and urges continued steps to prevent tick bites. Adult deer ticks are active in the fall through at least November.
Deer ticks, which can carry germs that cause several diseases, are commonly found in wooded, leafy, and shrubby areas, which may include areas around the yard. These germs spread through the bite of an infected deer tick. According to the Maine CDC’s Maine Tracking Network. As of today, the Maine CDC has recorded:
- 2,416 cases of Lyme disease
- 563 cases of anaplasmosis
- 156 cases of babesiosis
- 9 cases of hard tick relapsing fever
- 4 cases of Powassan encephalitis
The most common symptom of Lyme disease is a “bull’s-eye” rash. Other symptoms of tickborne disease include body aches, chills, fever, headache, and swollen lymph nodes. If you experience any of these symptoms, talk to a health care provider and be sure to mention any recent tick exposure.
To help limit exposure to ticks and tick bites, the Maine CDC recommends taking the following “Tick Free ME” steps when engaging in outdoor activities this autumn:
- Know tick habitat and take precautions in areas where ticks may live.
- Wear light-colored clothing that covers the arms and legs, tuck pants into socks.
- Use an EPA-approved repellent like DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus on skin. Use permethrin on clothing.
- Check for ticks daily and after any outdoor activity. Check family members and pets too.
- Remove your clothing when you get home and put it in the dryer before washing. Use high heat for 10-15 minutes to kill any crawling ticks.
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick Lab offers tick identification for free and tick testing to Maine residents for a fee of $20. Testing can take up to three days and should be used for surveillance purposes only, not for diagnosis. Finding a tick on you, even if it was attached, does not necessarily mean that any germs have been transmitted. Find more information at ticks.umaine.edu.
To learn more about how to stay Tick Free ME, visit www.maine.gov/lyme.