Ticks; Their Removal and Infection

By: Elizabeth Melendy, MD

As many of you know, this time of the year ticks arrive and can spread diseases including Lyme disease. As a pediatrician, I am regularly asked about ticks, Lyme disease and the complications of Lyme disease. Knowing the basics about ticks, their removal and infection is important.

There are three common species found in the United States that transmit infections, but only one transmits Lyme disease — the deer tick (Ixodes scapularis). About 50 percent of deer ticks in New Hampshire carry Lyme disease. However, Lyme disease is not instantaneously transmitted and takes at least 36 hours of attachment to transmit the disease. Therefore, it is important to check your kids and yourself daily for ticks. Start by just running your fingers through your child's hair and then do a quick head to toe inspection during bath or bed time.

Removal
If you find an attached tick it should be removed as soon as possible. A quick and easy way to remove a tick is with a fine pair of tweezers. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible without pinching the skin and pull straight out. The tick often will break and if this happens, repeat the process to remove the remaining piece. Do not dig down into the skin. Once you are able to remove as much of the tick as possible, clean the area with soap and water. Over the next few days you may notice a small bump where the tick was removed.

Symptoms and treatment
If your child develops a "bull's eye" rash with a ring of redness, you should contact your physician immediately as this may be a sign of Lyme disease. Other symptoms of Lyme disease are sometimes vague and include fever, headache, muscle or joint aches and fatigue. Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. The diagnosis is often made by the physician just by looking at the bite site and asking questions about the tick bite. In some cases, a blood test is required to check for antibodies to Lyme disease. This test is not accurate in the first four weeks of infection, so testing too early may give a false negative result. Once you have had Lyme disease your blood may always have antibodies if you are tested again in the future. Most treatment regimens involve oral antibiotics for 14-21 days. Rarely complicated Lyme disease requires intravenous antibiotics usually for 14-28 days.

If you have any questions about ticks or Lyme disease, do not hesitate to contact us at 603-257-4000.