The Messenger reports on tick borne illness and how to protect yourself.  

Tick-borne illnesses are steadily rising, and increasingly becoming a threat to people’s health all over the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

And while many people think of ticks as being a Northeast problem — that’s not exactly the case, experts warn. In fact, ticks affect people across most of the U.S., and can be a problem throughout the spring, summer and fall seasons.

So, what can you do if you get a tick bite? 

If the tick hasn’t been embedded for 24 hours, there’s probably nothing to worry about, Anne R. Bass, MD, rheumatologist at HSS, tells The Messenger.

“The tick really has to be engorged, to have been feeding for long enough to actually transmit bacteria. The bacteria lives in the gut of the tick, and then when the tick starts to feed and drink your blood, the bacteria migrate to the salivary glands of the tick, and then it gets injected into the skin, but that takes time,” Dr. Bass said. 

“So if you have a tick that's on you, but it's not engorged with blood, then the likelihood of transmission of disease is practically zero, ” she explained.

Bass emphasizes the need for daily tick checks as a way to catch the tick before that 24-hour mark. She agrees with looking under the arms, at the back of the neck and the groin.

“They like to go to warm places,” she said.

Read the full article at themessenger.com.