Gwen Rummell Reporting –
With May recognized as Lyme Disease Awareness Month, the Tuscarawas County Health Department will be providing month-long tick information.
If a tick is found on a person or animal, tweezers should be used to grasp the tick close to the skin’s surface and pull upward with steady, even pressure. After the tick has been removed, the bite area and your hands should be cleaned with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
The Health Department notes to never crush a tick with your fingers. Instead, place a tick in a sealed bag with alcohol, wrap it tightly in tape, or flush it.
“If you crush a tick with your fingers, you could expose yourself to whatever pathogens or bacteria and things that might be inside the tick. Also, it’s very difficult to crush a tick. Those bugs are very resilient so it’s always safest to not crush a tick with your fingers.”
Ticks can be submitted year-round for species identification. To learn more, visit www.tchd.now/ticks.
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