Tick Found In Michigan Can Cause An Allergic Reaction To Red Meat

Michigan has over 20 known species of ticks and another one has been found by health officials.

One bite from this tick could cause an allergic reaction to red meat.

Credit: Canva

LONE STAR TICK FOUND IN KALAMAZOO COUNTY

Kalamazoo County health officials say the lone star tick was identified during a routine tick drag on May 20 in Kalamazoo County.

WHAT’S A TICK DRAG?

DO LONE STAR TICKS GIVE YOU LYME DISEASE?

According to Fox 17 health officials say lone star ticks aren’t known to be vectors of Lyme disease, but they are known to cause Alpha-Gal syndrome, which is an allergic reaction associated with the consumption of red meat.

The lone star tick is also a vector of human ehrlichiosis, tularemia, Heartland virus, Bourbon virus, and Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI).

WHERE ARE LONE STAR TICKS FOUND?

Credit: cdc.gov

Lone star ticks live across the southeastern, midwestern, and eastern United States

HOW TO SPOT A LONE STAR TICK

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Lone star ticks are easy to recognize because of a conspicuous white dot on the dorsal shield of the females, which gives this tick its name. Adults are reddish-brown in color, very round, and have prominent festoons according to ticklab.org

HOW TO REMOVE A TICK

Credit: Canva

If a tick is attached to you, use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick at the surface of your skin.

Pull the tick straight up and out. Don’t twist or jerk the tick—this can cause the mouthparts to break off and stay in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth parts with tweezers if you can. If not, leave them alone and let your skin heal.

Clean the bite and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.

You may get a small bump or redness that goes away in 1-2 days, like a mosquito bite. This is not a sign that you have Lyme disease.

Note: Do not put hot matches, nail polish, or petroleum jelly on the tick to try to make it pull away from your skin.

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HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM TICK BITES

Credit: Canva

Use a repellent that contains 20 percent or more DEET, picaridin, or IR3535 on exposed skin for protection that lasts several hours.

Wear clothing that has been treated with permethrin.

Take a shower as soon as you can after coming indoors.

Look for ticks on your body. See the image to the right for areas where ticks tend to bite.

Put your clothes in the dryer on high heat for 60 minutes to kill any remaining ticks.

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Source: A New Tick Found In Michigan Can Cause An Allergic Reaction To Red Meat

Filed Under: Big Joe, Big Joe Pesh, Joe Pesh, Lone Star Tick, The Big Joe Show, ticks

Categories: Local News, News