Small creature with a big bite — what you need to know Image By HPN Staff Key Points Nearly 90,000 cases were reported in 2023, but actual numbers may be several hundred thousand due to underdiagnosis. Warmer winters and longer summers are extending tick season, making exposure a year-round threat rather than just seasonal. CDC emphasizes tick avoidance (brushy/wooded areas), permethrin-treated clothing, thorough self-checks, and immediate tick removal to reduce risk. Tick bites are causing more people to seek emergency care, including for Lyme disease. Singer Justin Timberlake recently revealed his experience with the tickborne illness, which can be scary and hard to diagnose. Symptoms can take weeks to set in and can include fever, aches, joint pain and fatigue. “Living with this can be relentlessly debilitating, both mentally and physically,” Timberlake said in a recent social media post, explaining health issues he’d had during his latest music tour. “When I first got the diagnosis, I was shocked for sure,” the pop star said. “But at least I could understand why I would be onstage and in a massive amount of nerve pain or just feeling crazy fatigue or sickness.” Why it matters Timberlake’s announcement has boosted awareness of a problem that has been growing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported nearly 90,000 cases in 2023 — the last year for which full data is available. Actual cases are thought to be much higher — in the hundreds of thousands a year. Antibiotics can knock back the symptoms within a few weeks, but many of them resemble those of other illnesses, and some cases go undiagnosed for months, leaving the patient with unexplained aches and fatigue. CBS News reported in July that emergency room visits for tick bites had hit their highest levels since 2019. The increase was particularly noticeable in the northeast, the outlet reported. Medical professionals say climate change may be responsible. "We are also seeing a longer tick season across the country, which historically has been a relatively predictable seasonal threat," Dr. Dennis Bente, microbiology and immunology professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch, told CBS News. "While tick bites are more common in the summer because of increased outdoor activity, evidence shows that people must stay vigilant year-round now that ticks are also active in the winter because of warming driven by climate change." The bigger picture The best defense, according to the CDC, is prevention. Remember where ticks live: Grassy, brushy or wooded areas. Try to avoid brushing up against plants and animals. The CDC also recommends treating your shoes and clothing with a .5% permethrin product, which is common in mosquito repellents, before you go camping or hiking. You should always check yourself for ticks after being outside. If you find a tick, remove it immediately — don’t wait to see a healthcare provider, the CDC recommends. Use tweezers or just your fingers to grab the tick as close to the skin as possible. Pull away steadily — don’t twist or jerk the tick. Don’t crush the tick, the CDC says. That can expose you to the fluids in its body. Flush it down the toilet, put it in a sealed container or douse it with alcohol. If you find one tick, look for others. Remember to check out-of-the-way places, like armpits, behind the ears and the groin. Use a mirror when needed. If you develop a rash — sometimes a bullseye will form around the tick bite — or fever, see a doctor. Additional details Ticks aren’t insects — they’re arachnids. Like spiders, they have eight legs. They can wander the body for hours before biting and often like to nestle along hairlines or in folds of skin. It uses its teeth to cut the skin, then inserts a tube to feed on blood.
