Preventing Tick-borne Diseases

Ticks are parasites – they feed on the blood of a host animal or person and transmit diseases by biting into a host’s body. The bites become infected and can make the host ill. Domestic animals like cats and dogs as well as wildlife and livestock are all at risk of tick bites and subsequent diseases. Each host responds differently to a tick bite, but infestations can lead to long-term illness and/or economic loss.

Here are three of the main diseases that get spread by ticks:

• Lyme disease: When most people think about diseases spread by ticks, Lyme disease is the one that comes to mind. To transmit bacteria that causes Lyme disease, a tick must be attached to a host (humans, dogs, horses and sometimes cattle) for at least 24 hours. However, the illness itself doesn’t show up until months after the initial bite. Humans often get a circular rash around the bite, but a dog’s symptoms could include fever, lameness and/or limping. They usually require a blood test to diagnose Lyme disease. If a horse shows symptoms, they may include weight loss, lameness, and arthritis, just to name a few.

• Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF): The CDC says RMSF is the most deadly tick-borne disease in the world. This serious bacterial disease affects dogs and humans (not livestock), and most often occurs in North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Missouri and Arkansas. Initial symptoms include fever, headache and nausea, but can progress quickly to a skin rash and diarrhea in a few short days. Dogs may cough, have a fever with swollen glands, and/or vomit before more serious signs of eye redness and vision problems, nervous system trouble and more.

• Anaplasmosis: This disease is becoming a large problem in the midwest region with cattle, though it can also affect humans. Anaplasmosis occurs when intracellular bacteria invade an animal’s red blood cells. The infection leads to fever and anemia, and the older the cattle the more severe the disease. According to Merck, up to 17 different tick species have transmitted Anaplasmosis.

Most ticks are more active in hotter months, so creating a prevention strategy from spring to fall is important to prevent the spread of diseases with potentially dangerous health (and financial) consequences.

If you do find a tick on an animal or yourself, removing it as soon as possible can minimize the risk of spreading disease. The Tick Twister Tick Remover is a safe and painless way to remove ticks. Simply hook the tick with the tool and twist it out of the skin. The tool was created by a veterinarian, and it comes in two sizes – one for small ticks and one for large ticks.