KDHE Home - News 2000 - News Release

Kansas
Department of Health & Environment
Bill Graves, Governor
Clyde D. Graeber, Secretary

May 16, 2000

Contact: Sharon Watson, 785-296-1529

Warmer Weather Heralds Mosquito and Tick Season

Warmer weather is here, and many of us will once more be enjoying activities like hiking, camping, picnicking and gardening. It's important to remember, however, that another group of creatures also becomes more active during the warmer weather. Yes, we're talking about the bugs.

"Mosquitos and ticks promise to be out in full force this summer," says Dr. Gail Hansen, assistant state epidemiologist and state public health veterinarian. "With a few simple precautions, we can minimize our risk for diseases they carry such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and encephalitis."

Hansen recommends the following steps for property owners to reduce the chance of insect and tick borne disease:

• Inspect and repair screens on windows and doors.
• Regularly mow lawns and cut brush. Mosquitoes and ticks inhabit tall grass and shady areas.
• Eliminate standing pools of water. Stagnant water is another popular habitat for mosquitoes. Pet water bowls and livestock feeding troughs should be changed daily. Water in bird baths and wading pools should be changed every two to four days. Ornamental ponds may be stocked with mosquito-eating fish such as minnow.

Hansen advises those spending time outdoors to:

• Avoid outdoor activity between sunset and dawn. This is when many mosquitoes become the most active.
• Walk in the middle of trails, away from tall grass and bushes. Avoid stagnant ponds.
• Wear long pants tucked into high socks, over-the-ankle shoes, and a long-sleeved shirt tucked into pants to prevent ticks from getting to your skin. Clothing should be light-colored to make ticks more visible. Red should be avoided because it attracts mosquitoes.
• Do not wear perfume, cologne, or scented antiperspirants.
• Use insect repellants, especially those with DEET, according to the label instructions.
• Check yourself every three hours for ticks when outdoors for extended periods.
• Promptly remove ticks if they are found. Grasp the tick with tweezers as close to the skin as possible, and pull straight out with a steady pressure. Do not crush or puncture the tick. Avoid handling the tick with your bare hands. Thoroughly disinfect the area of the bite and wash hands immediately after removal. Notify a physician if the tick was not completely removed.

There have been no reports of Dengue fever or West Nile-like virus in the Midwest. Dengue fever has been reported in Texas and Louisiana and West Nile-like virus was diagnosed on the East Coast last fall. Kansas mosquitoes are known, however, as carriers of encephalitis. About one out of 100 to 1,000 people who are bitten by an encephalitis-carrying mosquito becomes sick, depending on the strain of encephalitis.

There are no symptoms that are specific to encephalitis, but high fever, headaches, fatigue, neck aches, and sensitivity to light are cause for concern. The only way to tell if someone has encephalitis is to have a blood or spinal fluid test.

People with encephalitis may become uncoordinated or confused, find it hard to speak, and act and talk differently. Because of this, older people's symptoms are sometimes mistaken for other illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease. Nausea and vomiting are common. These symptoms can be followed, sometimes rapidly, by extreme disorientation, convulsions, or coma. Complications include pneumonia, intestinal bleeding, and lung problems.

There is no cure for encephalitis and no vaccine. People who show symptoms should see a physician.

Lyme disease is spread by ticks. Symptoms include a large, reddish rash around the bite area or elsewhere. The rash is often ring-shaped, expands from the original site, and is usually not itchy. Multiple rash sites may occur. During the rash stage, other symptoms such as fever, headache, fatigue, stiff neck, muscle or joint pain may be present.

These symptoms may last several weeks. Antibiotic treatment is available and usually successful. If untreated, complications such as meningitis (inflamation around the brain), facial palsy, or heart abnormalities may occur. Swelling and pain in the large joints may recur over many years, but the disease is almost never fatal. The ticks that carry Lyme disease are very small, usually the size of a sesame seed.

There is a vaccine for Lyme disease that is 80 percent effective after all doses have been given. The initial series takes a year to complete. The vaccine is not approved for children under 15 or for pregnant women. The vaccine protects only against Lyme disease, so vaccinated individuals should continue to take precautions when spending time outdoors.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is another tick borne illness with symptoms appearing within two weeks of the bite. The disease is characterized by sudden onset of moderate to high fever (which can last for two or three weeks), severe headache, fatigue, deep muscle pain, chills and rash, and can be fatal if not treated. The rash typically begins on the legs, arms, soles of feet, or palms and may spread rapidly to the rest of the body. Ticks commonly that carry RMSF are larger ticks than those that transmit Lyme disease and are often referred to as "wood ticks" or "dog ticks."

Ehrlichiosis symptoms can mimic those of many diseases. If not properly treated, this recently discovered disease can be fatal. It is spread by many different types of ticks, including the same ticks that carry Lyme disease and RMSF.

Tularemia, or rabbit fever, can be transmitted by ticks, directly from an infected animal, or more rarely by inhaling dust heavily contaminated with the organism. The ticks that transmit tularemia are similar to the ticks that transmit RMSF. If tularemia is acquired from a tick bite, there is often an ulcerated area where the tick bite occurred or swelling in the nearby lymph nodes. Fever, chills, and headache often follow and the disease can be fatal if not treated.

During 1999, Kansas received 16 confirmed reports of Lyme disease, two of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and two of tularemia. Ehrlichiosis first became notifiable in Kansas this year, so no historical information is available.

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