NASHVILLE, Tenn. — (WCYB) NASHVILLE, Tenn.--Spring has arrived and warmer temperatures mean more time outdoors for Tennesseans.
However, it also means sharing the outdoors with a host of other friends we haven't seen in a while, namely spiders, mosquitoes, snakes, and ticks.
According to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, up to 15 different tick species share our state. Fortunately, only a few of the species are likely to come into contact with humans. These include the American dog tick, Lone Star tick, blacklegged (deer tick), brown dog tick, and winter tick.
Most of these ticks become active in the month of April as spring arrives and last through the summer into September. Unfortunately, some of these species can cause issues for people if bitten.
A bite from the Lone Star tick can cause a syndrome known as alpha-gal, which can put a serious damper on your craving for steak. Alpha-gal is a sugar molecule transmitted by the tick which creates a food allergy to red meat.
It can take hours for a reaction to red meat after a person is infected. Symptoms include hives, swelling, wheezing or shortness of breath, runny nose, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, headaches, and even anaphylaxis, which is a deadly allergic reaction.
A bite from the American dog tick can cause Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Like alpha-gal, it can also be deadly if not treated with antibiotics. RMSF is a bacterial disease which normally causes fever, headache, rash, vomiting, muscle pain, and lack of appetite. The good news -according to a University of Tennessee professor- is RMSF is only carried by about 3-5% of these ticks in Tennessee.
Other diseases carried by ticks in Tennessee according to the UT paper include Lyme Disease and Southern tick-associated rash illness.
So what to do about preventing a tick bite? Use repellents containing DEET on your person, and use permethrin on your boots, shoes, and pants before heading outdoors. Tuck your pants into your boots so that ticks can't get underneath the pants.
(Note: repellents should not be used on babies under 2 months and permethrin should not be used on skin.)
Also, take showers within two hours of coming inside and check your body or your child's for ticks. The areas to specifically check are under the arms, in or around ears, inside belly button, back of the knees, in or around hair, between legs, and around your waist.
Read more about ticks from the CDC by clicking here.