(COLORADO) — The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is warning the public about the dangers of tick bites and shared a few photos to help emphasize how the insects can sometimes go unnoticed.
Tickborne illnesses pose a definite threat during the summer months when temperatures warm up and people are recreating outdoors. CDPHE said if you are bitten by a tick and develop any of the following symptoms, to see a doctor:
Fever/chills – all tickborne diseases can cause fever.
Aches and pains – tickborne diseases can cause headaches, fatigue, and muscle aches. People with Lyme disease may also have joint pain.
Rash – Lyme disease, Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI), Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), ehrlichiosis, and tularemia can cause distinctive rashes.
Neurological symptoms – Tick paralysis is thought to be caused by a toxin in the saliva of an attached tick. People with tick paralysis can experience weakness or paralysis that gradually moves up the body.
Click here for CDPHE’s full tick education and prevention website.
Avoiding tickborne illness can sometimes be more difficult than expected, due in part to how minuscule the insects can be. CDPHE posted photos on Facebook, courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and pointed to the fact that ticks appear almost imperceptible compared to even the poppy seeds on a poppy seed muffin.
See if you can spot the ticks:
So how can you best avoid these petite pests? CDPHE says EPA-registered insect repellent is the number one defense against tick bites. Repellants containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone are the most effective, and treating clothing and camping gear with 0.5% permethrin can help keep ticks away.
Pets can also be victims of tick bites, so CDPHE recommends talking to your veterinarian about the best tick prevention for your pets. Read more about tick prevention and pets here.
If you realize you or your pet have been bitten, CDPHE provides a step-by-step process for removing the tick on its tick prevention page, as well as resources for what to look out for.
