Lyme Disease Awareness for Families Joshua Smith Fairfax County Health Department Fairfax County, VA, May 30, 2015

Outline Ticks in Fairfax County Tickborne Disease Prevention

Tick Life Cycle 4 Stages Egg Larva Nymph Adult Female, Male CDC/Christopher Paddock

Tick Species in Fairfax County Image credit: CDC 4

The Waiting Game Ticks do not fly, jump, or fall from trees Crawl on grass or other low vegetation Wait for animal to pass by Wait in leaf litter Use carbon dioxide and scents to find host animals 5

Lyme Disease Transmission Ecology

Personal Protection

Personal Protection Avoidance Repellent Dressing properly Permethrin for clothing Shower Tick check Prompt removal of attached ticks

Avoid Tick Habitats How do I avoid them? Where are they? Stick to the middles of trails. Avoid tall grass and brush. Where are they? Leaf litter and low lying vegetation. Forests and woodlands where host animals are present. 9

Hours of protection (25%) Repellents* Repels mosquitoes Repels ticks Hours of protection (25%) Use on children** DEET Yes 5 Over 2 months Picaridin Maybe -- Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus 4 Over 3 years IR 3535 3 *Always read and follow label instructions. **Do not allow children to apply repellent to themselves.

Dress to Protect Treat clothes with permethrin. Tie back long hair or wear a hat. Wear long, loose and light colored clothing. Tuck your pant legs into your socks and your shirt into your pants.

Permethrin for Clothing Permethrin is the active ingredient Insecticide that can be applied to your clothing, NOT your skin Pre-treated clothing or DIY Always read and follow label instructions. 12

Perform Regular Tick Checks During, immediately after and several hours after spending time outside Check whole body Use a friend or mirror to check hard to see areas

I found a tick attached to me… now what? Don’t panic Remove it Save the tick for identification See a physician if you experience symptoms. 14

How to Remove a Tick Use fine-tipped tweezers Grasp the tick as close as possible to the skin surface and pull upward with steady, even pressure After removing the tick, disinfect the site and wash your hands Save the tick for identification Image credit: CDC

Why get a tick ID’d? Several species of ticks in our area Not all small ticks are deer ticks Only deer ticks transmit Lyme disease bacteria Other tick-borne diseases We do not test ticks for diagnostic purposes or provide medical advice

Free Tick Identification Service Instructions Carefully remove attached tick Place tick in sealable plastic bag Label with your name, address, and phone number Bring tick to FCHD Kelly Square Building (10777 Main St, Fairfax, VA) We will identify species, often while you wait

Make Your Yard a Tick Free Zone Create a sunny, dry area Remove leaf litter & tall grass Lay down wood chips and gravel Keep playground equipment and decks away from yard edge and trees. Use fences Apply insecticide } 18

Preventing Ticks Around the Home Chemical control Broad-spectrum pesticides Non-target effects No tick-specific treatments Careful, judicious use Read and follow label!

Thank you