Have Signs of the Deadly East Asian Tick Been Found in the Raleigh Durham Area?

east Asian tick extermination
Image courtesy of John Tann via Flickr CC by 2.0

If you have listened to the news recently, you may have heard reports of the East Asian tick being found in the United States. This is a new species to the area, and it has been found in New Jersey. It is invasive and has not responded to efforts to eradicate it before it established itself.

Where Is the East Asian Tick in the United States?

Currently the tick is only in New Jersey in the United States. Experts are not sure how the tick made its way to the United States. It was first found by a new Jersey sheep farmer last fall. Currently, there are no known instances of the tick outside of New Jersey. However, this is considered a highly invasive species and eventually they will likely spread to other areas of the United States. It has proven to be a problem in Australia.

Why Is the East Asian Ticks Considered Deadly?

The East Asian tick is a known carrier of the STFS virus. At this time, this virus is only found in Asia. It begins as a fever with vomiting and diarrhea. It can affect the platelet count, white blood cell count and the level of liver enzymes in a patient. It can also lead to multiple organ failure. Since it is a virus, treatment focuses on managing systems. The mortality rate of the disease is twelve percent. The disease can be passed through bodily fluids too.

What Are the Chances of This Coming to the United States?

The concern is that since the ticks have reached the United States, that if the virus makes it way over to the United States, that it will have the chance to easily spread throughout the United States. The virus was first discovered in 2009, and more and more cases are reported each year. No one is certain when or how the virus will make it to the United States, but it is a possibility.

Is There a Way to Prevent Tick Bites?

There are steps to take to prevent tick bites. There are a number of ticks already established in North Carolina that can spread serious illnesses like Lyme disease. The issues are even worse this year because a record tick season is expected. You can prevent tick bites in your yard by having it treated for ticks. Wearing insect repellent with DEET when you go into areas with ticks can also help.

Can Fleas Make People Sick?

Can Fleas Make People Sick
Image courtesy of Erturac CC by-S.A. 3.0

When you think about fleas, you likely think about your pets and how they can make your pets sick and miserable. However, fleas also pose a risk to people. They are known to spread a number of serious illnesses to people as well. Here are a few illnesses that people can catch from fleas.

Tapeworms

Fleas are known carriers of tapeworms. While these are often more common in animals, tapeworms can infect humans as well. In order for both pets and people to catch the tapeworm, an infected flea must be ingested. Pets will accidentally ingest them when grooming or trying to remove the flea. Children are more likely to accidentally ingest a flea than an adult.

Bubonic Plague

Most people know that the bubonic plague was also called the Black death and it wiped out upwards of 75 million people during the Middle ages. There are still cases of it every year. Modern medicine has effective treatments if the disease is caught early enough and the mortality rate is a lot lower than it used to be. However, there can still be outbreaks in parts of the world.

Murine Typhus

Murine typhus is spread through fleas. It starts with a fever, and possibly vomiting. A rash may appear on about day five of the illness. This needs to be treated with an antibiotic in order to clear up the illness. The earlier the treatment begins the more quickly the patient will recover from the illness

Tularemia

Tularemia is a disease that can affect both people and animals. The symptoms depend on how it is spread, but if you contract it through a flea bite, you will have an ulcer develop where the flea bit you. If this happens you should go to the doctor and get on antibiotics. If you do not treat it at this stage, it can spread and develop into more serious forms of the illness including typhoidal or pneumonic.

Protect Yourself from Fleas

The best way to protect yourself from these diseases is to prevent fleas. You can do this by having a preventative flea treatment for you yard. You can also use flea preventives such as a flea collar, flea drops or an oral medication. This should stop you from getting a flea infestation in your home. Most of these illnesses are no longer very common in the United States, but there is still the chance of catching them. Before you travel to other countries, be sure to check to make sure there is not an outbreak.

5 Questions About Seed Ticks

flea and tick controlIn the spring, there is an increased chance of being bitten by a seed tick. Seed ticks pose additional dangers and it is important to be aware of these dangers so that you can take the steps necessary to protect yourself from these ticks. All types of ticks will go through the phase of being a seed tick. Learn the answers to common questions about seed ticks.

What Are Seed Ticks?

Seed ticks are actually tick larvae. They look similar to adult ticks, but they are much smaller than adult ticks. They are still larvae, and they need at least one blood meal so that they can move onto the next stage in their lifecycle. This is the stage after the ticks hatch from their eggs.

What Do Seed Ticks Look Like?

Seed ticks look similar to their adult counterparts. They are much smaller than adult ticks. They can easily be mistaken for a new mole or freckle. Instead of having eight legs like adult ticks, they only have six legs. The seed tick coloring is dependent on the type of tick that it is. Often someone bitten by one seed tick will have multiple ticks on them.

Do Seed Ticks Spread Disease?

Seed ticks can spread a number of tick-borne illnesses. One of these is Lyme’s disease. They can also spread Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other illnesses that will need to be treated with antibiotics in order for you to recover from them. After mosquitoes, ticks spread the most diseases to people out of all the other insects.

What Time of Year Do Seed Ticks Appear?

Seed ticks are the larva of the ticks, so they will appear when the eggs hatch in the spring. Seed ticks will usually feed on a small animal initially like a rodent and then wait for you to pass by to attach to you or another host. If you are going into a tick heavy area in the spring, you need to take extra steps to protect yourself from ticks.

How Do I Prevent Seed Ticks?

There are a few things you can do to protect yourself from seed ticks. If you are going to a tick prone area, you should apply insect repellent.  DEET is one of the most effective options available on the market. Be sure to wear long pants and long sleeves when you are spending time outdoors and to tuck your pants into your socks and your shirt into your pants. Avoiding walking through fields with long grasses or in areas where you will brush up against plants. This is how ticks get on you.

Once you leave the area, you should check your clothing and yourself for ticks. Ticks may spend a significant amount of time on you before they attach. Change out of your clothing and shower as soon as possible to stop any from attaching to you and to prevent them from getting in your home. As an added protection, you may want to treat your yard to prevent ticks. This will kill the seed ticks too. This will be beneficial if you live in area that is prone to ticks.

Check for ticks carefully. Seed ticks are smaller, about the size of a poppy seed. You will need to look closely to see if you have any. If you do find one, look for additional ticks. These can be harder to remove because of their small size it can be difficult to use tweezers to grab them. However, this is the best method for removing them. Be sure that you remove the entire tick.

Are There Super Fleas in the Triangle Area?

dog with fleasSuper fleas are fleas that have become resistant to traditional treatments. While some people may feel like they have a case of the fleas that are resistant to treatment. Vets in the Raleigh area recommend regular treatment of fleas to stop your pets from becoming infested with a super flea that is hard to get rid of.

How Do I Tell if My Pet has Super Fleas?

Many doctors will say that fleas have not really become more resistant to medication, rather they are stubborn insects and that a more careful job needs to be done to completely deal with them. If you have treated your pets and your home for fleas, but they keep coming back, you may have a strain of fleas that do not respond to the treatments that are currently available.

How Do I Get Rid of Super Fleas?

The first step is to try to change the flea medication that you are giving your pets. If you were using drops or a flea collar, you may want to visit your vet to get a prescription for an oral flea medication. If the fleas really are resistant to the other treatments, then trying something new should help get rid of the infestation. Many of the oral medications are effective for three months, which means you do not need to worry about applying it as often.

It is also important to change the way you are dealing with the infestation at your home. Flea eggs will fall off of your pet and land in your carpet, and so if you do not treat your entire home effectively, you may have another flea outbreak in a few weeks. If you have tried dealing with it on your own and you are still having issues, call in a professional flea exterminator that can apply an effective treatment inside of your home, as well as a barrier spray outside of your home that will stop fleas from entering your yard and finding your pets that way.

What Can I Do to Prevent Future Flea Problems?

Although there a quite a few home remedies for getting rid of fleas, the best way to prevent fleas is to treat your pets for them. In the past, people would stop flea treatments in the winter months when it is cooler. However, fleas are often able to survive the winter months with the amount of time people are spending indoors and the milder winters. If you treat your pets throughout the winter, you may be able to avoid picking up any fleas.

What Ticks Are Most Dangerous in North Carolina?

dangerous ticksTicks are a nuisance and because of their small size and painless bite, you may not realize that you have been bitten until it is too late. Ticks need to be attached between 12 to 24 hours before they transmit a disease. This means that regular checks for ticks and removing them quickly can help protect you from diseases. Here is a list of the most dangerous ticks in North Carolina.

Dog Ticks

According to WRAL, the most dangerous tick is the dog tick. It is main carrier of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. This disease can cause a fever and achy muscles. A few days after onset, a spotted rash will appear on the ankles and wrists. It will continue to spread if not treated. Rocky Mountain spotted fever needs to be treated with antibiotics so if you have symptoms, you should seek medical attention. North Carolina often has the highest number of reported cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever each year.

Blacklegged Ticks

Blacklegged ticks are another serious threat to residents of North Carolina. Blacklegged ticks carry Lyme disease, Powassan disease and babesiosis. Lyme disease often begins with a bull’s eye rash and aches and pains. It will not clear up without treatment and it is important to seek medical attention if you develop these symptoms after a tick bite. Powassan virus is more common in the Northeast, and symptoms include headache, fever and confusion.

Lone Star Ticks

Lone Star ticks carry a number of diseases including tularemia and STARI. The symptoms of tularemia depend on the way that you contract it, if you catch it from a tick bite you may have skin ulcer where the bite was as well as swollen glands. STARI is a disease that causes fever, headache and a rash. It can be treated with antibiotics. A bite from the Lone Star tick may also cause the victim to develop allergies to meat.  The symptoms may take a few months to develop and usually result in a stomach ache and will worsen each time the patient eats meet. It usually starts with beef and venison, and overtime, there may also be allergies to poultry.

Should you, your family, or your pets be bitten by a tick then you should be very vigilant for any related symptoms as described above, but you can also take a proactive role in preventing ticks from inhabiting your yard and entering your home through a comprehensive tick control treatment that will eliminate existing ticks and prevent their return.