Take precautions, but don’t freak out: tick-borne diseases rare in Washington state

YAKIMA, Wash. – So there’s good news: The incidence of tick-borne disease in Washington state is relatively rare.

The most prevalent such disease in the state, tick-borne relapsing fever, is only reported 10 to 12 times a year, said state Department of Health epidemiologist Hanna Oltean.

Lyme disease is even less common, with fewer than five cases per year in the state – not counting cases people here caught while traveling out of state. And there hasn’t been a reported case of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in Washington since 2011, and that one was never confirmed by lab testing.

“Tick-borne diseases are really rare in Washington state,” Oltean said. “Compared to other parts of the country, we don’t have much to worry about.”

So that’s the good news. Here’s the bad news: Tick-related illness is on the rise nationwide, tick populations have been booming for years, and even ticks that don’t have Lyme disease (or any other spreadable diseases) are annoying, creepy and just plain gross. Oh, and if you remove them incorrectly, parts of their heads can rip off and remain embedded.

“The best way is to use tweezers and gently pull. Just give it a little tug until it lets go,” said Darrell Patterson, who leads hikes as a member of the local outdoor recreation group The Cascadians.

He should know. He and a friend went on a 3-mile hike near Snow Mountain earlier this year, and his friend’s dog basically became a mode of public transportation for ticks.

“When we got home, we pulled 100 ticks off of that dog,” Patterson said.

One hundred ticks. On a 3-mile hike. Sure, the dog is a birder who intentionally spent the hike tramping through the thickest brush he could find. But that’s still an awful lot of ticks.

You’re not going to keep a bird dog out of the brush, but there are plenty of things people can do to limit the risk of being latched onto by ticks. For one, they can wear long pants and either tuck them into socks or use gaiters to keep them closed at the cuff. They can also wear light-colored clothing to help see ticks on their clothes, use an insect repellent approved by the Environmental Protection Agency and make sure to check themselves, their pets and children after being outdoors.

You can do all of that and still get bitten, though. If that happens, the sooner you act the better, Oltean said. A tick has to be attached for about 24 hours to transmit Lyme disease, she said. And in general the longer it’s attached, the greater risk of disease and the more severe the disease can be.

So the smart thing is to check directly after a hike or outdoor excursion. Also, if you do find one or more, don’t panic; you probably won’t be sick. Just carefully remove them, note the day you were bitten and be vigilant about things like fevers and new rashes.

“Just be aware of any symptoms that might be associated with things like Lyme disease,” Oltean said.

If you’re concerned, you can send the tick, alive if possible, to the state Department of Health. There’s a form that explains how at www.doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/Pests/Ticks.