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Limiting exposure to ticks is the most effective way to reduce
the likelihood of Rocky Mountain spotted fever infection. In persons
exposed to tick-infested habitats, prompt careful inspection and
removal of crawling or attached ticks is an important method of
preventing disease. It may take several hours of attachment before
organisms are transmitted from the tick to the host. Currently, no
licensed vaccine is available for Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
It is unreasonable to assume that a person can completely
eliminate activities that may result in tick exposure. Therefore,
prevention measures should be aimed at personal protection:
- Wear light-colored clothing
to allow you to see ticks that are crawling on your clothing.
- Tuck your pants legs into
your socks so that ticks cannot crawl up the inside of your
pants legs.
- Apply repellants to
discourage tick attachment. Repellents containing permethrin can
be sprayed on boots and clothing, and will last for several
days. Repellents containing DEET (n, n-diethyl-m-toluamide) can
be applied to the skin, but will last only a few hours before
reapplication is necessary. Use DEET with caution on children.
Application of large amounts of DEET on children has been
associated with adverse reactions.
- Conduct a body check upon
return from potentially tick-infested areas by searching your
entire body for ticks. Use a hand-held or full-length mirror to
view all parts of your body. Remove any tick you find on your
body.
- Parents should check their
children for ticks, especially in the hair, when returning from
potentially tick-infested areas. Additionally, ticks may be
carried into the household on clothing and pets. Both should be
examined carefully.
Figure 17. Removal of an embedded tick using fine-tipped
tweezers
To remove attached ticks, use the following procedure:
1. Use fine-tipped
tweezers or shield your fingers with a tissue, paper towel, or
rubber gloves (Figure 17). When possible, persons should avoid
removing ticks with bare hands.
2. Grasp the tick as
close to the skin surface as possible and pull upward with steady,
even pressure (Figure 18). Do not twist or jerk the tick; this may
cause the mouthparts to break off and remain in the skin. (If
this happens, remove mouthparts with tweezers. Consult your health
care provider if infection occurs.)
Figure 18. Tick Removal
3. Do not squeeze,
crush, or puncture the body of the tick because its fluids (saliva,
body fluids, gut contents) may contain infectious organisms.
4. After removing the
tick, thoroughly disinfect the bite site and wash your hands with
soap and water.
5. Save the tick for
identification in case you become ill. This may help your doctor
make an accurate diagnosis. Place the tick in a plastic bag and put
it in your freezer. Write the date of the bite on a piece of paper
with a pencil and place it in the bag.
Folklore Remedies Don't Work!
Folklore remedies, such as the use of petroleum jelly or hot
matches, do little to encourage a tick to detach from skin. In fact,
they may make matters worse by irritating the tick and stimulating
it to release additional saliva or regurgitate gut contents,
increasing the chances of transmitting the pathogen. These methods
of tick removal should be avoided. A number of tick removal devices
have been marketed, but none are better than a plain set of fine
tipped tweezers.
Tick Control
Strategies to reduce populations of vector ticks through
area-wide application of acaricides (chemicals that will kill ticks
and mites) and control of tick habitats (e.g., leaf litter and
brush) have been effective in small-scale trials. New methods being
developed include applying acaricides to rodents by using baited
tubes, boxes, and feeding stations in areas where these pathogens
are endemic. Biological control with fungi, parasitic nematodes, and
parasitic wasps may play alternate roles in integrated tick control
efforts. Community-based, integrated, tick-management strategies may
prove to be an effective public health response to reduce the
incidence of tick-borne infections. However, limiting exposure to
ticks is currently the most effective method of prevention.
Other Pages with information on Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever:
Rocky
Mountain Spotted Fever - History
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Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Overview
-
Rocky
Mountain Spotted Fever The Organism
-
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Epidemiology
-
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Signs and Symptoms
-
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Detection
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Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Treatment
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Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Prevention and Control
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