Tick Magnet

I won’t gross you out with an image (WikiPedia does a good enough job of that), but I did want to bring your attention to a potentially fatal parasite that seems to be in abundance here in Virginia Beach at the moment.

Last night after my run I felt something “tickling” my left calf (no pun intended), looked down and saw something small, black and oval in shape nestling amongst the hairs on my leg. On closer inspection I realized it was a tick (possibly a deer tick) that had somehow attached itself to my leg at some point during my Steady State run.

I grabbed some tweezers and managed to remove the tick, being careful to remove all of the blood-feeding parasite and not just its head. Luckily for me, I don’t think he’d been on my leg too long.

Ticks are carriers of a number of diseases, including the potentially disabling Lyme Disease.

According to WikiPedia:

Ticks are blood-feeding parasites that are often found in tall grass and shrubs where they will wait to attach to a passing host. Physical contact is the only method of transportation for ticks. Ticks do not jump or fly, although they may drop from their perch and fall onto a host. Some species actively stalk the host by foot.

Changes in temperature and day length are some of the factors signaling a tick to seek a host. Ticks have a harpoon-like structure in their mouth area, known as a hypostome, that allows them to anchor themselves firmly in place while feeding. The hypostome has a series of barbs angled back, which is why they are so difficult to remove once they have penetrated a host. Ticks can be found in most wooded or forested areas throughout the world.

Some of the more common diseases that can be contracted from a tick bite include (listed alphabetically): Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Most of last night’s run, was either on a path and out on the road, but thinking back there was a short section of long grass I had to navigate to get back into my neighborhood. It was probably here where the tick attached itself.

As luck with have it (for the ticks and not me), I picked up another one on the other leg tonight, despite having sprayed myself with a strong DEET-containing insect repellent (which according to the label is supposed to repel ticks). Also the longish grass had been mowed down some time today so not really sure where the tick was waiting to ambush me.

Apparently about 13,000 people a year contracting Lyme disease, but according to this article it is not really that easy to get infected.

Not only do you have to come into contact with an infected tick, but it must bite you and remain attached to your skin for 48 hours. To suffer any serious consequences, you must also miss noticing the tick, the bull’s-eye-shaped rash that follows, and ignore the flu-like symptoms since an early dose of antibiotics can eliminate the problem.

Anyway, just wanted everyone to be aware of the dreaded ticks and to make sure you check your body for any lurkers when you return from your run.

Have a great weekend everyone!