SPRING TICKS ON

This year’s mild winter and early spring are good news for those eager to plant a garden or hike in the mountains. But the warmer than usual weather also means Maine is likely to have a bumper crop of bugs, some of them carrying illnesses such as Lyme disease. Preventative steps and a little caution can help minimize risk.

Lyme disease, named for the town in Connecticut where the illness was discovered, is one of the most common infectious diseases in Maine, with 237 reported cases last year. The illness, which is carried by deer ticks, has been found in southern Maine for years and the number of cases in the north is slowly increasing.

In some southern and coastal areas, half the deer ticks are found to carry the disease. Cases were reported for the first time in Fort Kent, Howland, Aurora and Cherryfield in 2003, according to the Maine Medical Center Research Institute.

The mild winter may have increased the reproduction and survival of ticks, as well as chipmunks and mice, which are intermediate hosts. Deer ticks, which are about the size of a poppy seed, are also emerging earlier this year, with one entomologist reporting finding one on his dog in March.

Ticks prefer wooded areas with high grass and a lot of leaf litter. If possible avoid these areas – by staying in the middle of a trail, for example – when deer ticks are most active, which is May through July. A bug repellent containing at least 20 percent DEET will help prevent tick bites (use a low dose for children), as will wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants to avoid skin exposure. Wearing light colors will make it easier to spot deer ticks crawling on clothing.

If a tick is attached to your skin for less than 24 hours your chances of contracting Lyme disease are extremely low. So, check your body for ticks if you’ve spent extended time outdoors. If a tick is embedded in your skin, carefully remove it with fine-tipped tweezers.

Signs of Lyme disease include a reddish, bull’s-eye rash where the bite was, followed by fever, headache, fatigue and muscle or joint pain. Most infections can be treated with antibiotics. Untreated cases can lead to meningitis and arthritis.

If you’ve been bitten by a deer tick and think it may be carrying Lyme disease, you can have it tested by sending it to the Vector-borne Disease Laboratory at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute. There is no charge for this service and mail-ing instructions can be found at http://www.mmcri.org/lyme/ submit.html.

There is reason for caution, but with a little prevention, you should still get out and enjoy the warm weather.