Expert warns of increasing prevalence of ticks in America

A leading expert warns, but Americans can protect themselves from parasites this summer with a few simple steps.

Dr. Entomologist Jon Oliver of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, told DailyMail.com that millions of Americans are bitten by ticks each year, but they transmit dangerous tick bite-related diseases such as Lyme disease and alpha syndrome. transmitted.

However, this summer, which is the season when living things are most active, people should take precautions because the risk of contracting the disease is the slightest risk.

She recommends people use bug sprays, do regular tick checks, and avoid brushed areas where bugs like to hide.

“It’s important to recognize the ticks’ habitats,” Oliver said.

Different ticks in different parts of the country can transmit different diseases.

Deer ticks, the most common type of tick in the United States and often linked to Lyme disease, often live in wooded habitats and areas with high humidity, Oliver says.

As such, they are most active in South America and in late June, July, and August.

The solitary ticks responsible for alpha-bill syndrome – a peculiar condition in which a person suffers from a red meat allergy – prefer drier conditions and are found in parts of the southwestern United States.

Ticks are often carriers of these diseases because they pick them up from another animal they eat.

Dr. University of Minnesota entomologist Jon Oliver (pictured) says a person can take simple steps to protect themselves from tick-borne diseases, such as using insect sprays, wearing long-sleeved clothing in areas at risk of exposure, and checking in. tic. after the character

Lyme disease, the most common tick-borne disease by 35,000 people a year, comes from mice. A tick that feeds on a mouse can contract the disease and then pass the tick-causing bacteria to the next animal it feeds on.

Tick-borne diseases are a dead end in humans because humans cannot infect one another or another organism.

This type of bacterial infection also does not harm the tick, allowing it to continue feeding on other creatures even after being infected.

Whatever the common error in your area, the error handling advice remains the same.

‘Insect repellents work against both tics and mosquitoes. Use an EPA-approved insect repellent,” says Oliver.

He also recommends avoiding scrub areas where insects may be present. If someone has to enter these areas – for example for work – they should wear long sleeves and trousers that act as a barrier between them and the insects.

Most tick bites go undetected, as ticks have evolved to prey on a person unknowingly, even by releasing chemicals that numb the host.

The creatures can hold themselves to a person for long periods of time, but with each hour of attachment to the host, they are more likely to transmit a potentially dangerous disease.

“Most tick-borne diseases require a tick to feed for at least 24 hours before transmitting bacterial disease,” Oliver said.

Explain that the risk of disease transmission is low within the first 24 hours after a tick attaches to a person. After 36 hours the risk would increase rapidly and within 60 hours there is practically a 100% chance of transmission.

Deer ticks, which are more common in the Americas and frequently transmit Lyme disease, are common in areas with dense vegetation where humidity is high.

For this reason, a person should have regular tick checks after returning from an outdoor activity in a place where there is a risk of exposure to ticks.

He advises a person to comb their hair along the body and make sure that there are no unwanted intruders attached to it. A shower can also help.

However, ticks are very small and nymphs are usually the size of a sesame seed, so someone may not have noticed a host attached to them all day.

If a person believes they have a tick for 24 hours, Oliver recommends seeking medical attention.

“You mustn’t panic… [but] “If you’re experiencing flu-like symptoms or any kind of rash or illness, you should tell your doctor.”

Infections are rare, and Oliver says only half of ticks are actually infected with a disease like Lyme disease.

It can take up to 24 hours for a tick to infect a human, meaning that regular and thorough tick checks can help prevent the contraction of dangerous bacterial infections.

Even when a person is infected, they often manage to cope without medical treatment and may not even know they are suffering from the infection.

Oliver believes that official data can detect only ten percent of cases and that around 300,000 people are at risk of becoming infected each year.

The fact that only one percent of tick bites cause infection means that millions of people are unknowingly eaten by the creatures each year.

The prevalence of these creatures has also increased. As humans destroy forests and invade their natural habitats, they interact with more insects than they would otherwise.

“There are many more ticks than there were 20 years ago, and the prevalence of ticks has increased dramatically,” he said, heralding the consequences that can come from Lyme disease and other diseases.