How to Prevent Lyme Disease Grades 3 - 5 Note to Teachers: Please review the teacher’s guide prior to showing these slides. How to Prevent Lyme Disease Grades 3 - 5

What is Lyme disease? Lyme disease is caused by a type of bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi. This bacteria can make people and pets sick. Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria. The germ can only be seen by looking through a microscope. The long white squiggles in the picture are Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Borrelia burgdorferi is a type of bacteria called a spirochete because of its spiral shape.

The bacteria that causes Lyme disease lives inside the stomach of a deer tick The Lyme disease bacteria lives in the stomach of a deer tick.

How do ticks get the bacteria? Ticks get the bacteria when they bite and feed on an animal that is carrying the bacteria, such as: Mouse Bird Other small animal Ticks can get the bacteria by biting and feeding on mice, birds, and other small animals that are infected. Although adult deer ticks prefer to feed on deer, deer do not become infected and do not transmit the bacteria to other ticks.

Ticks can pass the bacteria to other animals Ticks can pass the bacteria on to other animals such as mice, birds, chipmunks and deer. These animals carry the bacteria, but are not sick.

Ticks can also pass the bacteria to people and pets People and some pets can get sick if they get bitten by a tick that carries the bacteria. Dogs and horses can get Lyme disease.

A Tick’s Life It takes 2 years for a tick to grow into an adult. Tick eggs are laid in the spring. Young ticks called larvae hatch from the eggs in the summer. Larvae bite and then feed on the blood of small animals such as mice. The larvae may get the bacteria by feeding on an infected mouse. If the larvae gets infected, it will have the bacteria for the rest of its life. (Not all ticks get the germ.) The larvae molt into the bigger nymphs in the fall. The nymph becomes inactive during the fall into the winter. When spring arrives, the nymph can feed on people, pets and deer, or more mice. If the nymph has the bacteria, it can pass the disease or illness onto people and pets. Nymphs molt into adult ticks in the fall. The adult tick prefers to feed on large animals such as deer, but it will bite other animals including dogs, horses, cows, cats and people. . If the adult tick has the bacteria, it can pass it on to humans if it feeds on them. It’s much easier to spot an adult tick, and remove it.

What do deer ticks look like? adult Larva  Nymph  Adult Look at the sizes of deer ticks. Young deer ticks are tiny and grow larger as they become adults. A very young deer tick is called a larva (plural is “larvae,” pronounced “Lahr-Vee”) . The larvae are very tiny – as small as a period at the end of a sentence. Larvae molt into nymphs which are bigger than the larvae but still tiny - only the size of a poppy seed. The nymphs molt into adults. Deer tick larvae have 6 legs, and nymphs and adults have 8 legs

Actual Tick Sizes

Where are ticks found? Woods Tall grass Shrubs Piles of leaves and brush Ticks are found in the woods and places where there is tall grass, or piles of leaves and shrubs.

How Do People Get Bitten by Ticks? Ticks don’t fly or jump. Ticks hang out in vegetation and grab onto people (or clothes) when they walk by. A tick will then crawl to a feeding spot on the person or animal. Ticks wait on the tips of tall grass, shrubs, and piles of leaves for a person or animal to walk by. The tick grabs onto clothes or fur. Since ticks cannot jump or fly, they will wait for a person or an animal to brush up against them to attach. This is called “questing.” Once the tick attaches, it will slowly crawl to find a good spot to bite and feed. If they like the host, they will attach and feed for several days.

How does a tick spread the bacteria that causes Lyme disease? Once ticks bite they usually hang on for several days while they feed. Usually a tick must bite and stay attached to your skin for at least 36 hours before it can give you Lyme disease. Ticks wait on the tips of tall grass, shrubs, and piles of leaves for a person or animal to walk by. The tick grabs onto clothes or fur. Since ticks cannot jump or fly, they will wait for a person or an animal to brush up against them to attach. Once the tick attaches, it will slowly crawl to find a good spot to bite and feed.

Ticks After a Blood Meal Ticks fill up with blood and swell to be many times their original size.

What are the signs of Lyme disease? Rash that may look like a bull’s eye or a target Sore muscles Very tired Not everyone gets a rash, but some people get a rash that looks like a bull’s eye or a target. You can see the dark red circle in the middle and the lighter red circle surrounding it that makes it look like a bull’s eye or a target. Some people get swollen knees or other joints, or have sore muscles, or become very tired. Swollen joints

Treating Lyme Disease Your doctor will give you medicine if you need it. If you notice a bulls eye rash or any of the symptoms of Lyme disease, see your doctor for a check up.

There are steps that kids can take to steer clear of ticks and help prevent Lyme disease.

REPEL Ask a parent to buy bug spray (repellent) that will protect your skin from ticks. The repellent should be applied to your skin (that is not covered by your clothes) before you go outside. You can also treat your clothes with Permethrin. The first step is to REPEL, which means that you cover your skin with bug spray (repellent). You need to be sure that the repellent is effective against ticks (read the label). Ask your parents to get this at the store. If you are outside for a long time, you can also use a special tick repellent that you spray onto your clothes. It’s called Permethrin.

When you have been outside… INSPECT When you have been outside… Check for ticks on your body every day. Find a buddy and check each other’s clothes and skin. Ask an adult to help you. When you have been outside, working or playing in tick habitat, check your whole body from head to toe. Ask a grown-up to help you. Check your legs. Check the back of your knees. Check your neck and under your hair. Check armpits. Check in and behind your ears

If you find a tick on your body: REMOVE If you find a tick on your body: Tell an adult. Have an adult help you to carefully remove the tick with a pair of fine point tweezers. Wash the bite with soap and water. Why not gasoline or a match? Because these methods could harm the person. Safely remove ticks Early tick removal may reduce the risk of infection of some tick-borne diseases. Follow the steps below to safely remove ticks from animals and humans. 1. Use fine-tipped tweezers and protect bare hands with a tissue or gloves to avoid contact with tick fluids. 2. Grab the tick close to the skin. Do not twist or jerk the tick, as this may cause the mouthparts to break off and remain in the skin.   3. Gently pull straight up until all parts of the tick are removed. DO NOT attempt to remove the tick by touching it with a burnt match or swabbing it with alcohol or petroleum jelly.  This will only aggravate the tick and cause it to release more bacteria into the blood stream. After removing the tick, wash your hands with soap and water or waterless alcohol-based hand rub. Clean the tick bite with an antiseptic such as iodine scrub, rubbing alcohol, or soap and water.

Prevent Lyme Disease How to BE TICK SMART: Stay out of areas where ticks live. Wear light colored clothing & tuck pants into socks Repel – use bug spray. Inspect – check your body for ticks when you come inside. Take a shower to wash off ticks you cannot see. Remove – if you find a tick, have an adult remove it with tweezers. Review the three steps for prevention

Other ways to protect yourself from tick bites When hiking or walking in grassy areas: Wear long pants tucked into your socks to keep ticks off you. Wear long-sleeved shirts and, light colored clothes to make it easier to spot ticks. Dress in long pants and sleeves to protect your skin from ticks. Tuck your pants into socks to keep ticks off your legs.

Pets can get ticks Check your pet for ticks after it has been outside and remove any ticks. Ask your veterinarian about collars, sprays, powders, and other treatments will help stop ticks from biting your pet. Pets, especially dogs and cats are in danger of getting bitten by ticks because they play outside where ticks live. Pets should be checked every day for ticks. If you find one, remove it quickly, using fine tipped tweezers.

Keep your yard safe from ticks. Keep grass cut short Remove leaf piles and brush Use deer fencing Tell your parents how to keep your yard safe from ticks.

Remember, You can prevent Lyme Disease by Keeping Ticks off your Body! Questions?