These diseases are found throughout the U.S. and are resistant to control.
CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, MD, said the growing public health problem will only worsen without “major improvement” in how local, state, and federal levels work together to track, report, and control the diseases.
Number of Cases Reported in 2016
➤ Lyme disease: 36,429 (experts believe the annual number is around 300,000, based on surveillance)
➤ Anaplasmosis/ehrlichiosis: 5,750
➤ Spotted fever rickettsiosis (Rocky Mountain spotted fever): 4,269,
➤ Babesiosis: 1,910
➤ Tularemia: 230
➤ Powassan virus: 22
Tick Removal
➤ Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
➤ Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
➤ After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
➤ Never crush a tick with your fingers. Dispose of a live tick by putting it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag/container, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet.
clipart image of a tick
➤ Avoid folklore remedies such as “painting” the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly, or using heat to make the tick detach from the skin. Your goal is to remove the tick as quickly as possible–not waiting for it to detach.
If you develop a rash or fever within several weeks of removing a tick, see your doctor.
https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/removing_a_tick.html #medicine