Spring is ticking in Kamloops.
Image credit: Source/Wikipedia
May 19, 2024 – 12:00 PM
Now that the weather is getting warmer and people are getting outside to enjoy the scenery, Interior Health has advice for dealing with tick bites.
Ticks are small insects that bite, suck blood, and transmit diseases. They usually prefer to live in tall grass or woodland areas.
According to a news release, Interior Health is taking several precautions for people and pets who prefer to be out in nature.
“There are simple things you can do to protect yourself from ticks, including covering up before going outdoors and checking for ticks when you return from a walk, hike, or bike ride.” said Dr. Fatemeh Sabet, Medical Health Officer of Health. release. “Most tick bites do not cause disease. However, infections can occur if the skin is broken, so tick bites should always be disinfected.”
Ticks contain toxins that can cause temporary muscle weakness and paralysis if attached for several days. Children and the elderly are especially susceptible to tick toxins, but symptoms disappear once the tick is removed from the skin.
Interior Health said one of the best ways to reduce the risk of tick-borne diseases is to perform skin checks on yourself, your children, and your pets after going outdoors.
Here are some other tips from Interior Health. Walk on clear paths through tall grass and wooded areas, wear hats, long sleeves, pants, and light-colored clothing, use insect repellent containing DEET on exposed skin, and check your clothes and scalp for ticks. Please check.
Read more: Kamloops woman finds ticks on her cat
Use gloves when removing ticks and avoid crushing them. Stomach contents may be injected into the skin.
To remove the pest, use needle-nosed tweezers to gently grasp the tick near the skin and pull it straight out without squeezing, according to Interior Health. When a tick appears, wash the area with soap and water, and if you find one tick, check carefully for other ticks.
There is a free identification platform called eTick that identifies ticks in photos and provides information on whether the tick can spread disease or whether further action is required.
Most ticks in the Interior Health region do not carry the Lyme disease bacteria, but they can spread other diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Ticks that carry Lyme disease are more commonly found in coastal areas of British Columbia
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