Community Corner
Tick Season Survival Guide
Martha's Vineyard is crawling with ticks in May and June, but don't let that bug you. Public health experts have some tick tips for a safe season.
Martha's Vineyard is a paradise for more than humans: Abundant open space and a lack of natural predators have led to deer populations estimated at 40 to 60 deer per square mile, according to the Martha's Vineyard Boards of Health.
With deer come deer ticks — about 5,000 ticks per deer — and Lyme disease infections, which peak on the Island in May and June and again during the November hunting season.
"Martha's Vineyard is an endemic area for tick-borne disease," said Michael Loberg, Tisbury board of health commissioner and a member of the Island-wide Tick Borne Illness Prevention Program.
Find out what's happening in Martha's Vineyardwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
And, Loberg said, those most at risk are children, who have an even higher rate of infection than landscape workers.
The Tick Borne Illness Prevention Program has a comprehensive website with questions and answers and a series of informational videos on preventing TBI, shorthand for tick-borne illnesses including Lyme disease, babesiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Find out what's happening in Martha's Vineyardwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Here are some key tips from the website:
- Where are ticks found on Martha's Vineyard? "Deer ticks tend to concentrate in moist, shady, leaf-littered areas, often at the perimeter of landscaped yards (watch this video for quick tips to protect yourself)."
- How should one dress to prevent tick exposure? Long pants tucked into socks; clothing impregnated with the tickicide permethrin is also available at Brickman's and Basics, said Edgartown health officer Matt Poole.
- How do I remove a tick once it's embedded? Promptly and carefully, as shown here. Be careful not to get the potentially infectious tick blood on anyone. Wipe the bite with alcohol after removal.
- What are the signs and symptoms of the common tick-borne illnesses? Often, much like the flu. See here for more information.
- How long should I wait before treating a tick bite? Don't dawdle. With tick-borne disease, delaying treatment "can cost tens of thousands of dollars," Loberg said. "Catch it early, it's a couple hundred bucks."
Find out more and watch up to eight videos about ticks and tick-borne disease at the Martha's Vineyard Boards of Health website.
Stay Patched in! Follow Martha's Vineyard Patch on Twitter | Like Martha's Vineyard Patch on Facebook | Sign up for the daily email with links to the latest news | Got something to say? Start a blog and share your views.