Awareness and Prevention of Tickborne Illnesses is the Best Protection

The region is host to three common disease-spreading ticks: the blacklegged or deer tick, the lone star tick, and the American dog tick. Since 2021, the number of reported cases of Lyme disease in West Virginia have been rapidly increasing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And while Lyme disease remains the most common tickborne illness in the state, a recent West Virginia Department of Health advisory also warned of significant increases in cases of anaplasmosis and babesiosis. All three diseases are transmitted by the blacklegged or deer tick. 

Typical symptoms of Lyme disease include fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, and a bullseye rash. Someone with anaplasmosis may exhibit many of the same flu-like symptoms seen with Lyme disease, as well as nausea and vomiting. Symptoms of babesiosis also resemble the flu, but more severe disease can be seen in immunocompromised people or those without a spleen. Rash is not typical with anaplasmosis or babesiosis.  

Dr. Lokant said that all three diseases can be treated with antibiotics, and the infections are curable. However, severe or untreated disease can cause critical complications, and even with treatment, there could be lingering damage to the body.  

Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), a tickborne illness that recently surged in awareness due to popularity on social media, is a serious and potentially life-threatening allergy to red meat and other products made from mammals. Triggered by a bite from the lone star tick, AGS causes the body to have an allergic reaction to a sugar molecule called alpha-gal, found in most mammals.  

“Symptoms will be more like an allergy with hives or itchy rash,” Lokant said. “The worst-case scenario would be anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction that includes swelling of the airway.”  

AGS has no definitive cure, and treatment involves managing symptoms and avoiding foods containing alpha-gal. A few cases have been reported in the state in previous years. 

The American dog tick, typically found on pets, is the most encountered tick in the state. If they bite humans, these ticks can spread Rocky Mountain spotted fever, although cases in West Virginia are rare. The disease presents with flu-like symptoms, rash, and nausea, and it can be treated with antibiotics. 

Those planning to spend time outside in wooded or grassy areas should follow these preventive measures to keep themselves safe:

To remove a tick, use tweezers closest to where it’s attached and pull it off. Avoid squeezing the tick’s body. Anyone concerned about symptoms can put the tick in a sealed container or take a picture of it to help doctors make a diagnosis, Lokant suggested.  

The CDC recommends safely disposing of a live tick by placing the tick in a sealed container, wrapping it tightly in tape, flushing it down the toilet, or putting it in alcohol. Avoid crushing the tick with fingertips or other tools.  

“The sooner you remove a tick, the better,” Lokant said. “Lyme disease typically requires the tick to be attached for at least a day for it to spread. So, if you’re going outside, do a tick check, and pull it off as soon as you are aware. If the tick is engorged, it’s probably been on long enough that it could have transmitted a disease.” 

Lokant said anyone who was bitten by a tick and experiences fevers, chills, headaches, muscle aches, fatigue, or especially a rash should contact their primary care provider and seek timely medical care.  

“Honestly, the best thing is preventive care,” Lokant said. “If you protect yourself from ticks at the beginning, you lower your chance of getting any of these illnesses.” 

Editor’s Note: Photo of Lokant courtesty of WVU Medicine.

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