ELLSWORTH — Blame the relatively mild winter on an uptick in deer ticks this spring.

“We already have a lot of reports of tick exposure,” said Vicki Rea, a nurse and field epidemiologist for the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

During a talk at Woodlawn Museum April 13, Rea said Mainers should take precautions when outdoors to prevent tick-transmitted Lyme disease.

Upward of 1,000 cases of Lyme are reported in Maine each year and the disease is likely underreported, Rea said.

Lyme disease has been moving up the coast and inland. Cases have been reported in all 16 counties.

Early symptoms include a bull’s eye rash, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, chills, fever, headache and swollen lymph nodes.

Later symptoms include arthritis, lymphocytic meningitis, cranial neuritis, encephalitis and heart problems.

The disease is usually treated with antibiotics. Treatment is most effective when started early.

Diagnosing Lyme can be problematic, however.

The bull’s eye rash is a clear indicator of the disease, but it does not develop in all patients.

Blood tests can be inconclusive.

“I’ve heard a lot of people say, ‘This really takes the fun out of the spring and summer,’” Rea said.

Tips for Preventing Lyme Disease

 

-Wear protective clothing outdoors. Tuck your pants into your socks.

-Use insect repellants containing DEET, oil of lemon eucalyptus, IR3535, picaridin or permethrin

-Perform daily tick checks.

-Use caution in tick-infested areas.

-Landscape your lawn, removing brush, leaf litter and tall grass. Consider a chemical control agent. Remove plants that attract deer.

For more health news, pick up a copy of The Ellsworth American.