MD Tick Numbers Boom, Diseases Spread Says Bug Guy

Temperatures have already topped 70 degrees in Maryland, which has brought out ticks and the diseases they carry. Wet winter weather has helped increase the state's tick population in recent years, says University of Maryland professor Michael Raupp, also known as the Bug Guy. As highs climb toward 80 degrees next week and you get outdoors, know what to look for and the diseases ticks in Maryland carry.

Lyme disease, one of the most common tick-borne illnesses, is on the rise — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say there may be as many as 300,000 cases of the infection per year in the United States, though many of these could go undetected.

In 2015, 95 percent of confirmed Lyme disease cases were reported from 14 states, including Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, the CDC says. Maryland reported 1,249 confirmed infections in 2015, about 100 more than the previous year, although far less than the 2,576 confirmed cases a decade ago. That puts the state's rate of infections at 20.8 per 100,000 people.

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Raupp says tick populations may be on the rise because of mild winter weather.

"Winters are getting warmer, of course with climate change, and they have been wetter and this is actually favored ticks in places like New England. If Maryland is guided by the same principals of nature, we would expect moist warm winters to favor ticks and we could see an increase in things like Lyme disease in Maryland as well," Raupp told WMAR.

Researchers say that human affects on the environment are driving up the rates of diseases like Lyme by boosting tick populations as predators are crowded out. Climate scientists say that as temperatures rise due to global warming and spring comes earlier, ticks have more time to thrive.

"As the climate warms, the ticks become active earlier and earlier in the season," said Richard Ostfeld of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in New York, explaining part of the rise in Lyme disease infection rates.

In 2015, according to the most recent data, more than 28,000 people had confirmed cases of Lyme in the country. In 2016, Maryland and Virginia made the CDC’s list of top 10 states reporting Lyme disease. Maryland recorded 1,249 cases of the disease in 2015 and 1,274 in 2016.

The blacklegged tick is the carrier of Lyme disease in the Mid-Atlantic region, Raupp says.

Lyme disease can start with flu-like symptoms including headache, fever, and fatigue accompanied by a bulls-eye rash called erythema migrans. An untreated infection moves to joints, the heart, and the nervous system.

Raupp's blog offers these tips for preventing a tick from making a meal of you:

Avoid ticks by staying on walking paths, trails, or pavement. In woodlands or grassy areas wear long pants that you tuck into your socks and light colored clothing so you spot ticks as they move. Apply repellents. Put your cloths directly in a clothes dryer when you get home; the heat will kill ticks.

Inspect yourself, your family, and your pets thoroughly when you get home and when taking a shower. A thorough inspection may involve enlisting a helper to view those "hard to see" areas.

Remove ticks right away by firmly grasping it as close to your skin as possible using a pair of fine forceps or tweezers and slowly, steadily pull the tick out. Cleanse the area with antiseptic.

The CDC also has tips:

Repel Ticks on Skin and Clothing

• Use repellent that contains 20 percent or more DEET, picaridin, or IR3535 on exposed skin for protection that lasts several hours.
• Use products that contain permethrin on clothing. Treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks and tents with products containing 0.5% permethrin. It remains protective through several washings. Pre-treated clothing is available and may be protective longer.
• The Environmental Protection Agency has an online tool to help you select the repellent that is best for you and your family.

Find and Remove Ticks from Your Body

• Bathe or shower within two hours to wash off and more easily find ticks that are crawling on you.
• Conduct a full-body tick check using a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body upon return from tick-infested areas. Parents should check their children for ticks under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, and especially in their hair.
• Examine gear and pets. Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine pets, coats, and day packs.
• Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing after you come indoors.
  • If the clothes are damp, additional time may be needed.
  • If the clothes require washing first, hot water is recommended. Cold and medium temperature water will not kill ticks effectively. If the clothes cannot be washed in hot water, tumble dry on low heat for 90 minutes or high heat for 60 minutes. The clothes should be warm and completely dry.

Lyme Disease Symptoms
Early Signs and Symptoms (3 to 30 days after tick bite)

• Fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes
• 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)
  • 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
  • See examples of EM rashes

Later Signs and Symptoms (days to months after tick bite)

• Severe headaches and neck stiffness
• Rashes on other parts 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
• 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

Photo: US Department of Agriculture