Tick Safety
It's the Season of the Ticks!
As tick season is ramping up, I wanted to provide some information on how to keep your kids safe from tick bites and tick-borne illnesses. Many of the ticks found in Pennsylvania carry diseases that can make kids and adults sick, so prevention is the key to staying healthy. While ticks are present all year round, they tend to be less active (as are humans) in the winter. Spring and Fall tend to be their most active periods of the year. While our school grounds are sprayed regularly for ticks and other insects, it doesn't mean that we are tick free. So here are some ways, you can add an extra layer of protection for your child while at school or playing outdoors anywhere.
1. Use an EPA-registered insect repellant on the skin before leaving the house. While DEET is an excellent insect repellent, picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus are both effective DEET-free alternatives. Permethrin is an insecticide that can be sprayed directly onto clothes and shoes (and hiking/camping gear) and is shown to last through several washing cycles.
2. Always check your child for ticks when they return home from school or after playing outside. Checking in and around the hair, in and around the ears, under the arms, in and around the waist and belly button, between the legs, and behind the knees. These are the most common areas where ticks will settle in and embed. Remember to look closely, ticks can be very small and even resemble a small blemish, mole, or skin tag.
3. If you find a tick, remove it right away. The longer a tick remains embedded, the higher the risk of transmitting an illness to it's host. Use a fine-tipped tweezers, grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull straight up to remove the head and body. DO NOT use Vaseline or a lit and extinguished match. The only proven method to fully and cleanly remove a tick is with tweezers. After removal, CLEAN the area with warm, soapy water, iodine scrub, or rubbing alcohol.
4. If your child is found to have a tick on them at school, the tick will be removed by the school nurse. Your student will be sent home with a form showing where the tick was located and what symptoms to monitor for. The nurse will reach out to see if you would also like the tick sent home in a fully SEALED plastic bag with the form.
5. Lastly, if you have concerns about a recent tick bite that your child may have had, please reach out to your child's healthcare provider for guidance.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or any member of the school's administration.
Christine M. Catherman, RN
Back
1. Use an EPA-registered insect repellant on the skin before leaving the house. While DEET is an excellent insect repellent, picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus are both effective DEET-free alternatives. Permethrin is an insecticide that can be sprayed directly onto clothes and shoes (and hiking/camping gear) and is shown to last through several washing cycles.
2. Always check your child for ticks when they return home from school or after playing outside. Checking in and around the hair, in and around the ears, under the arms, in and around the waist and belly button, between the legs, and behind the knees. These are the most common areas where ticks will settle in and embed. Remember to look closely, ticks can be very small and even resemble a small blemish, mole, or skin tag.
3. If you find a tick, remove it right away. The longer a tick remains embedded, the higher the risk of transmitting an illness to it's host. Use a fine-tipped tweezers, grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull straight up to remove the head and body. DO NOT use Vaseline or a lit and extinguished match. The only proven method to fully and cleanly remove a tick is with tweezers. After removal, CLEAN the area with warm, soapy water, iodine scrub, or rubbing alcohol.
4. If your child is found to have a tick on them at school, the tick will be removed by the school nurse. Your student will be sent home with a form showing where the tick was located and what symptoms to monitor for. The nurse will reach out to see if you would also like the tick sent home in a fully SEALED plastic bag with the form.
5. Lastly, if you have concerns about a recent tick bite that your child may have had, please reach out to your child's healthcare provider for guidance.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or any member of the school's administration.
Christine M. Catherman, RN
