Public health is warning of ticks and Lyme disease. Here's what you should know

An image of a Lyme disease symptom provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
An image of a Lyme disease symptom provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Black-legged ticks aren't only pesky, they can transmit the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. And that's no picnic.

Cincinnati Health Department is jumping in with the Ohio Health Department to raise awareness about both ticks and Lyme disease after a persistent rise in Lyme disease cases in the state.

In 1998, there were just 47 cases of Lyme disease reported statewide, according to the Ohio Department of Health. That number grew by more than 1,000% by 2022 with 535 cases reported across Ohio.

This is a black-legged tick. They've been more active than usual during the early spring of 2023, and with a big increase in Lyme disease, health officials are making people aware of their threat.
This is a black-legged tick. They've been more active than usual during the early spring of 2023, and with a big increase in Lyme disease, health officials are making people aware of their threat.

Everyone should watch out for ticks, said Dr. Denise M. Saker, Cincinnati Health Department interim medical director. That includes doctors, she said.

“It is critical that physicians consider Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases when patients have symptoms such as a fever with or without a rash and history of a tick bite," Saker said.

Cincinnati Children's Dr. Mary Carol Burkhardt, associate division director of primary care and medical director of the Hopple Street Health Center, has some advice for avoiding tick bites:

  • Protect kids with light-colored, loose-fitting, long-sleeve shirts and long pants when possible.

  • You may use insect repellent (with no more than 30% active ingredient DEET for children as young as 2 months old).

  • Don't allow a child 10 or younger to apply their own repellent.

  • Check babies and children for ticks when they come indoors after playtime outside or come home from camping trips.

  • Keep young children away from tall grass if possible. (Ticks bite what's close to the ground. Think crawlers, toddlers and kids who love to roll on the ground.)

  • If you find a tick in your child's skin, use clean tweezers to grab the tick from the bottom and pull it straight up and out.

  • Wash any bitten area closely. If swelling is great, contact your pediatrician.

A symptom of Lyme disease is the unusual, bulls-eye appearance where a bite occurred. Symptoms of Lyme disease include headaches, chills, fever and muscle aches. If it's caught early, the tick-borne illness can be successfully treated with antibiotics. But left unaddressed, Lyme disease can spread to the heart, joints and nervous system, and can cause Bell's palsy, arthritis, meningitis, neuropathy and heart block, a condition that causes faintness because not enough blood makes its way to the brain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If you suspect that your child has Lyme disease, Saker said, the usual recommendation would be to contact their primary care doctor. If you find a tick on your child, you can send it to the Ohio Department of Health Tick ID laboratory.

"Recognition of tick-borne illnesses is important.” said Cincinnati Health Commissioner Dr. Grant Mussman. "While Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases can result in very serious illness, the earlier an illness is detected and the earlier correct treatment is begun, the better the outcome will be for the patient.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Lyme disease is rising and ticks are at fault, public health warns