Tick-Borne Disease

Tick season here in Falmouth is a year-round concern. Ticks live on deer and mice hosts, and can carry and transmit Lyme disease.  Sometimes, but not always, a bite shows a tell-tale red bullseye.

There are many national and local links providing information on prevention and treatment of tick-borne diseases. Cape Cod Healthcare provides a comprehensive source of information on tick-borne diseases.

Here is a brief overview of prevention and treatment options.

Prevention

Insect repellent, long sleeves and long pants tucked into socks might help if you are in areas frequented by deer and mice which host Lyme disease ticks, including Beebe Woods.  Clothing can be pre-treated with pyrethrin which lasts through several laundries.  

After spending time outside or in the woods,  check all over for any attached ticks  - if they can be removed within 72 hours they will not have attached and fed, and should not present a risk. Attached ticks are often discovered in the shower.

There is a plastic device that might help remove attached ticks. Cape Cod Health Urgent Care can remove an attached tick 273 Teaticket Highway open 8-6;  8-4 Sat Sun (508-495-8000)

Treatment

If a tick has attached and fed, you can send it in to Tick Report.

For a fee, you can get a full report and ID online, indicating which tick diseases you might be at risk for.  

Standard treatment for a tick bite is 2x 200mg doxycycline antibiotic. You will need a prescription from your primary care physician or an urgent care facility.   

Another tick-borne disease is alpha-gal syndrome, an allergic reaction to red meat:  beef, pork and lamb.  It is transmitted by the alpha gal saliva from a bite by a Lone Star Tick or larva and can cause serious anaphylactic shock days or weeks after the bite. The female brown tick has a prominent white spot on its back (hence the label “Lone Star”).  A death from alpha-gal syndrome was recently reported in New Jersey, and climate change has caused this tick to spread northward.  

Edward Caldwell MD is very knowledgeable about Alpha Gal Syndrome since he contracted it himself.