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Community Corner

Tick Season Survival Guide: Symptoms and Treatment of Infection

How do you know if you or your kids are infected with a tick-borne disease? What steps should you take? This Martha's Vineyard Boards of Health video has the answers to your questions.

For more Tick Season Survival Guide tips, please see:

Late spring and early summer are the times when the risk of tick-borne illnesses is greatest on Martha's Vineyard, but there's no time when the risk is zero.

That's why it is important to know the symptoms of tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease and babesiosis, and to seek treatment as quickly as possible if you believe you have been exposed to an infected tick.

The Martha's Vineyard Boards of Health created this video to help spread the word about how to recognize the signs of infection, and what steps to take.

According to the boards' website, and the video with this article:

The symptoms of tick-borne illnesses vary depending on disease. The most common symptoms associated with tick-borne illness develop anywhere from 3-30 days after exposure, appear much like the flu, and may include some or all of the following (see here for more information): 
  • Fatigue
  • Chills
  • Headache
  • Expanding Red Rash
  • Muscle and joint aches
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Sweating
  • Loss of appetite
  • Nausea
  • Fever
Source: Martha's Vineyard Boards of Health

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