Community Corner
Kids Most at Risk of Tick Bites, Diseases
Even more than landscapers, children are the most frequent victims of tick bites and the Infections they can carry, including Lyme disease. A new DVD from the Martha's Vineyard Boards of Health is designed especially for kids.
"Martha's Vineyard is an endemic area for tick-borne disease," according to Michael Loberg, Tisbury board of health commissioner and a member of the Martha's Vineyard Boards of Health Tick Borne Illness Prevention Program.
And of all the Vineyarders and visitors who may be exposed to tick bites and the diseases they can transmit, children have the highest rate of infection, Loberg told the all-Island selectmen earlier this year:
"Surprisingly, even more at risk than landscapers are our kids," he said.
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New DVD aims to keep kids safe
A new DVD from the Tick Borne Illness Prevention Program was created especially for kids. In both English and Portuguese, 1,500 of the discs were distributed through Island schools this month, according to the Vineyard Gazette.
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(If the voice-over on the Portuguese version sounds familiar, it might be because translator/narrator Laura Weisman is sister to WVVY radio personality Marta Camargo, whose Tuesday-afternoon "Brazilian Wax," 4 to 6 p.m. at 93.7 FM, is a standout on the Vineyard's only remaining radio station.)
Click here to watch the new video online and to find other videos, questions and answers and tips for preventing TBI, shorthand for tick-borne illnesses including Lyme disease, babesiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Here are some key tick tips from the Martha's Vineyard Boards of Health 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 agent 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 at the Martha's Vineyard Boards of Health website and in our Tick Season Survival Guide.
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