Lyme Disease Prevention Program

1

• Lyme Disease Prevention Program

Ridgefield Health Department
2
What is BLAST?

• BLAST is the easy to remember acronym which
  represents the 5 most effective prevention
  measures that YOU can take to avoid getting a
  tick-borne disease.

3
What are Tick-Borne Diseases?

• There are a few different diseases that are
  carried by ticks
• Lyme Disease
• Babesiosis
• Ehrlichiosis

4
Lyme Disease Symptoms

• Symptoms usually appear 2 30 days after the
  bite of an infected tick.
• Early symptoms
• Expanding "bull's-eye" rash
• Flu-like Symptoms
• Fever
• Tiredness
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Joint aches

5
Lyme Disease Symptoms (cont.)

• Examples of the Lyme Disease "bull's-eye" rash

Photos provided by Pfizer
6
If my friend has Lyme disease, can I catch it too?
7
NO! You can only catch Lyme from Ticks!
Although, being sick is tough, so if your friend
has Lyme, be EXTRA nice to them!
8
What do Ticks Look Like?
9
Black-Legged Ticks

• Adult Female Reddish body, about the size of a
  sesame seed
• Adult Male Slightly smaller than female,
  completely dark brown
• Nymphs About the size of a poppy seed
• Larva Size smaller than that of a pin head
  
• Larva cannot give you Lyme Disease!

From left to right Adult female, adult male,
nymph, larva
10
What time of year do people usually get
Tick-Borne Disease?
Reported Cases of Lyme Disease by Month of
Illness Onset United States, 1992-2004
11
Engorged Ticks
12
Where do ticks live?

• Ticks LOVE shady, moist areas

13
Did you wonder why there are so many ticks in our
town?
14
One tick can lay 2000 to 3000 eggs!
15
How does a tick give you a disease?
16
Ticks give you diseases when they bite you.
Not all ticks have diseases, though!
17
What do I do if I find a tick on myself?
18
Tell a Grown-up!
19
Tick Removal

• Use fine tipped tweezers.
• Grasp the tick by the mouthparts close to the
  skin.
• Pull straight back with a slow, steady force.
• Avoid crushing the ticks body.
• Wash area and disinfect the bite site.
• Record the date and location of the bite.
• Watch for early symptoms!

20
Tick Removal DONTs
Dont squeeze or rupture the tick. Dont pour
kerosene or nail polish remover on the tick.
Dont rub Vaseline or Petroleum Jelly on the
tick. Dont burn the tick with a smoldering
match or cigarette but. Dont do ANYTHING that
might otherwise traumatize the tick.
21
Bring the tick to the Health Department.T
hey can tell you if it had Lyme disease.
22
Whats the BEST way to keep ticks off you?!
23
BLAST stands for the ways to keep ticks
away from you!
24
BLAST
25
Bathe or shower soon after coming indoors
26
BLAST
27
LOOKfor Ticks and Rashes
28
Ask your Mom or Dad to help you look for ticks
every night!
29
BLAST
30
Apply Repellents
Use bug spray to keep ticks away! You can use
one for your skin or one for your clothes.
31
BLAST
32
Spray your yard
Some families do not want to spray. If they do,
your family should have a bug spray company to
spray your yard!
33
BLAST
34
Treat your pets

• Check your pets for ticks!
• Ask your vet what you can put on your pet to keep
  ticks off of them.
• Dont sleep with your pet because ticks on your
  pet may crawl onto you!

35
Quiz Time!
36
B
37
L
38
A
39
S
40
T
41
Lyme Disease!
42
Be a LYME Fighter!

• Together we can
• Lyme Disease!