• Lyme Disease in Santa Cruz County

• Western Black-Legged Tick

• Life Cycle of the Western Black-legged Tick

• Lyme Disease Symptoms

• Removing and Storing a Tick

• Tick Testing

• What to do if you think you have Lyme Disease

• Tick Avoidance

• Lyme Disease Web Sites

Lyme Disease in Santa Cruz County

Lyme disease is an infectious disease transmitted by the bite of a tick. It is caused by a spirochete (a spiral-shapedbacterium) that can cause mild flu-like illness or, if untreated, can lead to severe chronic health problems. The natural history of this disease is not completely understood and the illness it produces takes many forms. Because of varied symptoms, diagnosis can occasionally be difficult.

The prevalence of ticks carrying the agent of Lyme Disease may be higher in Santa Cruz County than other areas of California. A two-year study by biologists at San Jose State University found infection rates ranging from 5 to 9 percent among western black-legged ticks (Ixodes pacificus) and American dog ticks (Dermancentor variabilis) in Santa Cruz County. This is higher than the 1 to 2 percent previously estimated.

Lyme disease was first identified in the United States in 1975 in Connecticut and was first diagnosed in California in 1978. Lyme disease is now recognized as an important tick-borne disease throughout the northeastern U. S. from Massachusetts to Delaware; in the midwest in Minnesota and Wisconsin; and in some western states, including parts of California. Lyme disease is also recognized in many European countries

Ticks feed by sticking their mouthparts into the skin and sucking blood for up to several days.  Diseases such as Lyme disease are transmitted while the tick is attached and feeding. Scientific research has demonstrated that, in most instances, a tick must be feeding for 24 to 48 hours to effectively transfer the microorganism from its stomach to your body.

Western Black-Legged Tick

The western black-legged tick (Ixodes pacificus) is the only tick of the 48 species occurring in California that is known to transmit Lyme disease. The spirochete causing Lyme disease was first isolated from this tick in 1984. The tick has three active life stages: Immature stages (larvae and nymphal) feed on small rodents, rabbits, lizards, birds, and occasionally large mammals. Adults feed on large mammals, principally deer. All stages feed by embedding their mouthparts into the skin of a host and taking a blood meal.

Adult ticks are most commonly found from October through June (winter/spring), during the period of the year when humidity is usually high. The adult female is red-brown with black legs, about 1/8-inch long; males are smaller and entirely brownish-black. Both are teardrop shaped. The western black-legged tick has been identified in 56 of the 58 California counties, but it is most common in the humid coastal areas and on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada range.

This tick can be found on wild grasses and low vegetation in both urban and rural settings. Ticks do not fly, jump, or drop from trees. Rather, they climb to the tips of vegetation, typically along animal trails or paths, and wait for a host to brush against them. 

Nymphal ticks are very small, less than 1/16-inch long, and people may not notice that they’ve been bitten by one. Nymphs are active primarily March through August (spring/summer) and are found mainly in shaded/woodland leaf litter. They cannot climb vegetation. Bites from nymphs may be responsible for the majority of Lyme disease cases in the U.S., but cases have been reported throughout the year.

The early stage of Lyme disease is characterized by one or more of the following symptoms and signs:

• a characteristic skin rash, called erythema migrans may appear within 3-30 days

• fatigue

• chills and fever

• headache

• muscle and joint pain

• facial nerve palsy

• certain heart irregularities

Some symptoms and signs of untreated Lyme disease may not appear until weeks, months, or years after a tick bite:

• Arthritis is most likely to appear as brief bouts of pain and swelling, usually in one or more large joints, especially the knees.

• Nervous system abnormalities can include numbness, tingling, or pain in arms and legs, or difficulties in memory and ability to concentrate. 

Removing and Storing Your Tick

Prompt removal of ticks may prevent disease transmission.

1. Use tweezers or forceps rather than your fingers.

2. If you must touch the tick, use a tissue to protect your hand.

If ticks are crushed or squeezed while attached, exposure to body fluids may lead to transmission of Lyme or other disease agents.

3. Grasp the tick's mouthparts as close to the skin as possible.

4. Gently pull the tick straight out, steadily and firmly. Do not twist or jerk the tick. 

Tick mouthparts have harpoon-like barbs; they do not screw into the skin.

6. Dispose of tick in alcohol or by flushing it down the toilet.

7. Wash hands and bite site with soap and water. Apply antiseptic to bite site.

8. Use the same procedures and precautions when removing ticks from pets.

9. If you develop any of the symptoms described above in the following weeks, consult with your doctor.

Another option for tick removal is to loop some sewing thread around the tick and as close to the skin as possible (2-3 loops is enough). Basically you will be looping the thread around the tick's mouthpart, which is embedded in the skin. Once you have it tightly wound around the tick gently pull upward. You will have lassoed the tick around its mouth and it'll be forced to come out! This method is a good way of insuring you don't pop the tick - a very bad thing, considering that if it is infected, you come into contact with infected fluids.

Tick (and other Insects) Testing

If you want to get the Tick tested it must be kept moist (don't drown it). Place the tick in a small container with 1 or 2 drops of water or saline solution. A small piece of damp cotton or tissue inside the container is also acceptable. Do not use other liquids such as alcohol or formaldehyde solutions. In fact, if you use alcohol, your tick may absorb it and explode, making it impossible to test.

Your tick must first be identified to determine if it is the Western Black-legged Tick, the species that transmits Lyme Disease. 

To identify the tick you must bring it to the HSA Health Center Laboratory in Santa Cruz or Watsonville. This service is free.

The lab can only identify the tick but can't identify if the tick has Borrelia burgdorferi. If you want to have it tested for Borrelia burgdorferi you will have to fill out a form and have the tick sent to Santa Clara County Health Services to have it tested. There is a $15 charge for this test.

What to do if you think you have Lyme Disease

Early recognition of Lyme disease is important. If you find a tick attached to your skin, or were in an area where ticks are known to occur, and develop any of the symptoms listed in this pamphlet, consult your physician. This information will help your physician make a diagnosis. Treatment with antibiotics during the early stage can cure the infection and prevent complications associated with late Lyme disease. Antibiotic treatment of late stage Lyme disease is usually, but not always, successful.

Additional information on Lyme disease can be obtained from your local health agency or The California Department of Health Services Web Site.

• Avoid areas where ticks are known to occur.

• Tuck pants into boots or socks, and shirt into pants.

• Wear light-colored pants and long-sleeved shirts so ticks can be seen more easily.

• Apply insect repellent to pants, socks, and shoes. Use a repellent registered for use against ticks.

• Avoid trail margins, brush, and grassy areas when in tick country.

• When in tick areas, check yourself and your children daily for ticks.

• Mow grass along trails, buildings, and camping areas.

• Remove brush along trails or other areas of high human activity.

• Area application of insecticides is not effective for tick control.

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