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Take precautions to avoid Lyme disease Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by the bite of an infected deer tick. Common symptoms of Lyme disease include a rash often called a “bullseye” because of the way it presents with red or purple rings, fever, body aches, flu-like symptoms, fatigue, headaches and arthritis-like joint pain. Ticks can also transmit other disease such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, so it’s important to be alert for any symptoms that follow a tick bite. More than 25,000 cases According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2013 (the most recent year statistics are available), 95 percent of Lyme disease cases were reported from 14 states, including New York. More than 25,000 confirmed cases were reported. Eastern and southern regions are at the highest risk, though the disease is prevalent throughout the state. Contracting Lyme disease from a tick bite depends on the type of tick, where you are located, and how long it was attached to you. Only black-legged ticks such as the deer tick can transmit Lyme disease. Lyme disease bacterium can live in mice, squirrels, and other small mammals and is transferred by ticks. The longer the tick is attached, the higher the risk. This is why it’s so important to remove ticks promptly (within 24 hours) and to check your body daily if you spend any time outdoors, especially if you work outside. If you develop any symptoms within a few weeks of a tick bite, see your doctor right away. Preventing Lyme disease Deer ticks live in shady, moist areas at ground level. They will cling to tall grass, brush and shrubs less than two feet from the ground. They also live in lawns and gardens, especially at the edges of woods and around old stone walls. On the job According to the Centers for Disease Control, outdoor workers are at risk of Lyme disease if they work at sites with infected ticks. • Work sites with woods, bushes, high grass or leaf litter are likely to have more ticks. • Outdoor workers should be extra careful to protect themselves in the late spring and summer when young ticks are most active. • It is your employer’s responsibility to provide you with what you need to prevent tick bites, including repellents and an adequate uniform if one is required. • CSEA urges all outdoor workers to check with their supervisor if they have questions about possible exposure to Lyme disease. Removing a tick If you do find a tick, remove it as soon as possible. Use finetipped tweezers and grab the tick as close to the mouth as possible. Be sure to remove the entire tick, including the head. Place it in a small container of rubbing alcohol to kill it. Call your doctor if you notice any symptoms or if you are unable to remove the tick fully. To minimize risk • Avoid wooded and bushy areas with high grass if possible. • Cover up. If you do need to work in the areas stated above, wear a long-sleeve shirt, long pants and tuck your pants into your socks or boots. Light-colored clothing is also a good idea because it allows you to spot ticks more easily. • Use insect repellent that contains 20 to 30 percent of the chemical DEET has been found to repel ticks. • Check yourself for ticks after you’ve spent a lot of time outdoors — especially the lower part of your body. This is extremely important since the longer the tick is attached, the higher the risk for contracting Lyme disease. • Wash work clothes in hot water and then a hot dryer to kill any ticks present. • Learn the symptoms of Lyme disease. Female deer tick June 2015 The Work Force 15


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