Ticks remain active as related disease levels climb
AUGUSTA-- The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) is urging all Maine people and visitors to take steps to protect themselves against tick bites when they spend time outdoors this fall.
Ticks remain active and some tickborne diseases continue to climb in number, with cases this October higher than at the same time last year for anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and hard tick relapsing fever.
Current year case counts for anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Lyme disease are available on the Maine Tracking Network Dashboard. As of October 14, 2024, the Maine CDC recorded:
- 2,544 cases of Lyme disease
- 888 cases of anaplasmosis
- 265 cases of babesiosis
- 19 cases of hard tick relapsing fever
- 4 cases of Powassan encephalitis
Adult deer ticks spread the germs that cause tickborne diseases in Maine and are active in the fall from late September through November. Deer ticks are commonly found in wooded, leafy, and shrubby areas, which may include areas around the yard.
The most common symptoms of tickborne disease include body aches, chills, fever, headache, and swollen lymph nodes. People who have Lyme disease may also find a bull's-eye rash somewhere on their body. If you experience any of these symptoms, talk to a health care provider and mention any recent tick exposure.
Take these steps any time you go outdoors to help prevent tick bites:
- T: Take and use an EPA-approved repellent. Use DEET, picaridin, IR3535 (Ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate), or oil of lemon eucalyptus on skin. Use permethrin on clothing only.
- I: Inspect your whole body for ticks daily and after any outdoor activities. Check family members and pets too.
- C: Cover your skin with light-colored long sleeve shirts and pants. Tuck pants into socks.
- K: Know when you are in tick habitat and take precautions in areas where ticks may live.
- S: Shower when you get home to help remove crawling ticks. Put clothes in the dryer on high heat for 15 minutes before washing to kill any ticks in your clothes.
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick Lab offers tick identification for free and tick testing to Maine residents for a $20 fee. Testing can take up to three days and should be used for surveillance purposes only, not for diagnosis. Finding a tick on you, even if it was attached, does not necessarily mean that it spread any germs to you. Find more information at ticks.umaine.edu.
To learn more about how to stay tick-free, visit the Maine CDC website.