Ticks can transmit diseases to both dogs and humans. The primary disease ticks transmit to humans is Lyme Disease. There are ways to minimize the risk of disease from ticks and they include the following …
* Wear light-coloured, long sleeved shirts and pants. The light colours will help you see whether there are any ticks on you. Tuck your shirt into your pants and pull your socks up over your pant legs. This will help keep ticks away from your bare skin.
* Wear shoes that cover your entire foot. Avoid sandals or open shoes.
* After finishing your outdoor activity, check your clothing and your entire body for any attached ticks.
If you find a tick attached to your body, safely remove the tick by …
* While wearing latex gloves, use tweezers to remove the tick. Grasp the tick’s head and mouth parts as close to the skin as possible, and pull slowly until the tick is removed. Be careful not to twist, rotate or crush the tick during removal.
* After removing the tick, use soap and water to wash the spot where the bite occurred.
* Disinfect the bite area with alcohol or household disinfectant.
* Save the tick in an empty pill vial or ziplock bag. If you develop any symptoms of Lyme disease, the tick can be sent to a laboratory for identification and this may help diagnose your illness.
Contact your family doctor right away if you develop a rash or other symptoms of Lyme disease.