HHS HealthBeat (September 30, 2011)

Ticks’ tricks

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

For something so tiny, ticks have a big capacity to make people sick. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chris Paddock says more than 30 different infections can be carried by ticks – depending on the virus, bacterium or parasite in the tick.

Dr. Paddock says some infections are more common than others – Lyme disease, for instance, is fairly common. Others, such as the infection caused by Rickettsia parkeri, have few known cases in the United States.

Paddock says people can reduce their risk of tick infection:

``Use insect repellent, applied especially to the lower parts of your body, where most ticks will initially attach. Also, wear light-colored clothing and long pants wherever possible.’’ (10 seconds)

An article on ticks in CDC’s journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: September 30, 2011