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As people head outdoors to enjoy warmer weather, experts warn area residents to keep their eyes wide open to avoid tick-borne ailments, such as Lyme disease.
In Pennsylvania, Lyme disease is caused by black-legged ticks (commonly known as deer ticks) that can attach to deer and the surface of human bodies. The disease can be cured if diagnosed early enough and treated properly.
However, because the early symptoms look so similar to regular colds, some people miss the diagnosis or have never been diagnosed.
Amber Altiero, regional leader of the Altoona Area Lyme Disease Support Group, said she knows people who are still suffering chronically due to late, false or no diagnoses. Some chronic symptoms can include fatigue, sleep difficulty, pain and neurological symptoms.
Until now, Pennsylvania ranked No. 1 in Lyme disease cases per year. The latest data of 2019 from the Pennsylvania Department of Health show there were about 9,000 confirmed and probable cases.
Why is the number so scary?
Dr. Danielle Tufts, assistant professor of infectious diseases and microbiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, said Pennsylvania just has good habitat for deer and ticks and people who enjoy the outdoors.
It might not be that we have more ticks and more diseases here. It might be that more people are going into forested areas because they have more opportunities to explore, so they come into more contact with ticks,Tufts said.
Ticks typically lie in tall grass, thick brush, the edge of woods where it borders a yard, piles of leaves and anywhere that is lush and shady that contains moisture.
"So it's really not a good idea to let children jump to a pile of leaves," Altiero said. "You (also) wouldn't want to sit on the log or base of a tree, because ticks like to hang out around those places."
Emily Struckhoff, Penn State Extension's vector-borne disease program specialist, said the best way to prevent tick bites is to prepare fully before going outside.
People can purchase approved insect repellent against ticks and treat their clothes with a chemical formula called permethrin. Altiero advises people to spray permethrin on clothes and let it dry before wearing. This can prevent ticks from getting close or attaching to the clothing. Altiero said it can even kill ticks that are crawling on the sprayed clothing. The spray lasts through six washings.
When outdoors, always wear long pants, socks and long sleeve shirts.
"When we go to the field to collect samples, we tuck our pants into our socks and put it in our boots to prevent ticks from crawling up our legs," Tufts said.
It is always important to do a tick check and shower right after coming inside after being outside. In order for the bacteria and viruses to infect a person, it takes at least 24 hours. Struckhoff said ticks can attach to any part of the body, but they prefer places that are covered or enclosed, like in hair, behind ears, under arms and behind legs.
"If you are bitten by a tick, you can actually save that tick, put it in a plastic bag and stick them into the freezer," Struckhoff said. Preserved ticks can be sent off to get tested for bacteria and viruses and help with diagnosis.
Bullseye rash a sign
One of the most distinctive signs of early Lyme disease is a "bullseye rash" -- redness around tick bites that look like a bullseye and can increase in size.
"A lot of people think you have to have a bullseye rash in order to have Lyme disease, but that's not true. You may not have a rash at all or have a rash that looks very different from bullseye rash," Altiero said, "but if you have a bullseye rash, that is 100% proof positive."
Altiero warns people not to trust the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommended two-tier testing and said it could miss "up to 50 percent of cases" for Lyme disease.
"I know a lot of people who have Lyme chronically, including myself, only have a negative result," Altiero said. "A practitioner or a patient shouldn't depend just on a test to rule out Lyme disease."
Starting in May, Blair County Emergency Management will be collecting mosquitoes and tick samples in neighborhoods for the 2023 tick and mosquito surveillance season. Megan Bickford, vector control specialist, said the main goal is to "not do adult treatment" by helping communities create an environment that is unfriendly for ticks.
To make a yard a "tick-free zone," Altiero said, residents can create a barrier between the woods and the grass with yellow cedar chips or stones. The barrier has to be at least 3 feet wide. In addition, people should remove plants that retain moisture and attract ticks, such as Japanese barberry.
One novel way to stop ticks is to spray permethrin on cotton or dryer lint and put the treated pieces in toilet paper rolls. As mice collect the treated material for their nest, permethrin will get into their fur and will stop viruses from infecting ticks.
Altiero also suggests putting children's play equipment in the sun or away from tree lines.
"You can even use permethrin to protect your children playing in the yard. Some people use it to spray their socks and shoes, and that protects them greatly from ticks," Altiero said.
"Just have fun outside, but be cautious, make sure you are being safe and do some of the (procedures) to prevent tick bites," Tufts said.
More information about Lyme disease and its prevention can be found on the Pennsylvania Lyme Resource Network website at palyme.org and the International Lyme and Associated Disease website at ilads.org.
For those who suffer from Lyme disease, the Altoona Area Lyme Disease Support Group offers help and resources. Contact
Altiero at 814-934-7403 for more information.
Mirror Staff Writer Alicia Chiang is at 814-946-7428.