WHAT’S NEWS IN McKEESPORT
a tick attached for more than 24 hours or has
symptoms of Lyme disease should contact his
or her health care provider.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT
ISSUES TIPS FOR
PREVENTING LYME
DISEASE
The Allegheny County Health Department
(ACHD) urges people to dress appropriately
and use repellent when in grassy or wooded
areas. Individuals should also shower and
check for ticks after being outside, since ticks
that carry the bacteria causing Lyme disease
are prevalent throughout the county.
Over the past 10 years, the number of Lyme
disease reports has increased dramatically in
Allegheny County. An estimated 1,285 cases
were reported in 2016, compared with 971 in
2015 and 822 in 2014.
“Lyme disease is both preventable and
treatable,” said Dr. Karen Hacker, Director of
the Allegheny County Health Department.
“With education, residents can be more aware
of ticks, and use common strategies to protect
themselves and their families. It is important
to know the signs and symptoms of Lyme
disease, and for those with the disease to seek
early treatment to avoid any potential long-
term health complications.”
Lyme disease is transmitted to humans by
the bite of an infected tick commonly known
as the deer tick or blacklegged tick. Every
county in Pennsylvania has deer ticks and is
reporting cases of Lyme disease.
Lyme disease can be successfully treated
with antibiotics. Some people may remain
untreated because early symptoms can be
mild and do not always include a telltale
“bull’s-eye rash” that can appear three to 30
days after the bite. If untreated, Lyme disease
can lead to serious complications such as
chronic arthritis and neurologic problems.
An individual who believes he or she has had
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ACHD urges these precautions to protect
yourself and your family from tick-borne
diseases:
• If outside in wooded, bushy or grassy
areas, avoid brush and wear long pants, long
sleeves and long socks to keep ticks off your
skin. Tuck pant legs into socks or boots and
shirts into pants to keep ticks on the
outside of your clothing.
• Wear light-colored clothes to spot ticks
more easily.
• Use insect-repellent with 20 percent to
30 percent DEET on bare skin (not on face,
and not on hands of young children).
Follow instructions carefully, especially
with children. For added protection, spray
a second repellent containing Permethrin
on boots, clothing, and camping gear. Don’t
use Permethrin on bare skin.
• Remove ticks from your clothing before
going indoors. To kill any you may have
missed, wash your clothes in hot water and
dry them on high heat.
• Shower with a washcloth within two hours
of coming indoors to wash off ticks.
• Check your skin for ticks after being
outdoors, even in your own yard. Inspect
all parts of your body carefully and remove
ticks immediately using fine-tipped
tweezers to grasp tick as close to the skin
as possible. Pull straight up with steady
pressure without twisting. Thoroughly
clean bite area with soap and water. If you
remove a tick within 24 hours, your chance
of getting Lyme disease is extremely small.
• Monitor your health closely after a tick
bite and be alert for any signs or symptoms
of Lyme disease, which include a bull’s
eye rash or flu-like symptoms (fatigue,
chills, fever, headache, muscle and joint
aches, and swollen lymph nodes). Seek
medical care if you develop symptoms.
• Many people who develop Lyme disease
do not realize they have been bitten, so
do not hesitate to seek care if you have
symptoms of Lyme disease even if you are
not aware of a tick bite.
• Follow same guidelines above for children.
• Examine household pets for ticks
and remove them. Dogs also get Lyme
disease. Vaccination and tick protection is
recommended for dogs.
• Reduce the habitat for mice around the
house and yard. Cut back grass, trim bushes
and store everything up off the ground.
Fewer mice and other wildlife will reduce
the number of infected ticks around the
home.
• Consider using a single springtime
application of a tick pesticide if you have
ticks on your property. Follow the label
instructions carefully.
Two other diseases similar to Lyme disease
transmitted by deer ticks are also known
to occur in Pennsylvania – babesiosis and
anaplasmosis – but, at present, are much less
common than Lyme disease.
For additional information about tick
control and tick-borne disease prevention,
please visit www.achd.net or call the
Allegheny County Health Department at
412.687.ACHD.
ENGLISH AND KORTZ’S
LEGISLATION TO PROTECT
HONEST HUNTERS
PASSES HOUSE
Legislation introduced by Rep. Hal
English (R-Allegheny) and Rep. Bill Kortz
(D-Allegheny), which would protect
hunters who turn themselves into the Game
Commission after mistakenly taking an
animal, has passed the House unanimously—
192 to 0.
“Presently, a hunter who harvests a deer or
turkey of the wrong sex or who accidentally
takes two animals can turn them into a
wildlife conservation officer and receive a
new tag, pay a small fine and suffer no license
revocation,” says English. “Our bill would
expand this practice to include the other two
big game animals, bear and elk.”
House Bill 359 would amend Title 34
relating to license revocations as a result of a
Game Code violation.
“Our measure does not change any of the
penalties that a hunter faces for illegal out-
of-season kills, except for the elimination of
license revocations in those instances where
the hunter self-reports and surrenders the
animal,” says English.
“This bill would help address situations
where a hunter erroneously wanders into a
wrong area, takes an out-of-season game