Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video pkg (1:00) is in the downloads at the end of the post.
Please "Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.

There's a new tick in town.

The Asian longhorned tick was initially found in the U.S. in 2017. And despite public health efforts ...

"... it did spread. It is now in 11 states," says Dr. Bobbi Pritt, a Mayo Clinic parasitic diseases expert.

Similar in size to the average American wood tick, the Asian longhorned tick can reproduce in large numbers.

"So she can produce hundreds and hundreds of offspring that live on a single animal," says Dr. Pritt. "And the blood loss from the feeding on that animal can be so great, the animal can die."

It also will bite humans. And, in other countries, has transmitted viruses and bacteria that have made people seriously ill.

"So one virus in particular that we'd be quite worried about is one called 'severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus,'" says Dr. Pritt.

As of now, no harmful germs have been found in ticks collected in the U.S., but it might be only a matter of time.

And tick bite prevention is key. Use tick repellent outdoors, wear clothing that covers your arms and legs, tuck your pants into your socks, and remove any ticks from people or animals as soon as possible.

The post Mayo Clinic Minute: What is the Asian longhorned tick? appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video pkg (0:58) is in the downloads at the end of the post. Please "Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.

Ticks live in moist and humid environments, particularly wooded and grassy areas — some of the same places where you may be enjoying summer.

"They get themselves in a position, and they will climb up the nearest object," says Dr. Bobbi Pritt, a Mayo Clinic parasitic diseases expert.

It’s called questing.

"It sticks out its legs, and that allows the tick to grab on to hosts as they walk by," Dr. Pritt adds.

You can lessen the chances you’ll become a host.

"Using insect repellents is a good idea," Dr. Pritt explains, suggesting permethrin for your clothing and gear. "You can really saturate your gear. Leave it out to dry. And, then, the next day, wear them."

Use permethrin on materials and DEET on skin.

"Spray the DEET repellent on exposed skin, including your legs and hands," Dr. Pritt says while demonstrating the product. "Avoid your face, but be sure to protect your neck."

Then, tuck you pants into your socks. And, on your hike, remember to avoid areas where those questing ticks may be perched.

"That's why you want to stay away from the tall grasses," Dr. Pritt adds. "Stay in the middle."

A tick bite can result in mild symptoms that are treatable at home to severe infections requiring hospitalization.

The post Mayo Clinic Minute: Ways to avoid ticks appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

In this Mayo Clinic Minute, reporter Jeff Olsen speaks with Dr. Bobbi Pritt, a Mayo Clinic parasitic diseases expert, about the right way to remove a tick.

Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video pkg (0:59) is in the downloads. Read the script.

There’s the old way and the right way to remove a tick.

"Using matches or nail polish remover or Vaseline ─ you want to avoid those," says Dr. Pritt.

Dr. Pritt knows ticks – and how to properly remove them.

"You don’t want to squeeze the tick, because that could cause it to regurgitate some its stomach
contents into the wound," she explains. "You don’t want to burn the tick either. That could also cause it to regurgitate."

Dr. Pritt says the best tool for the job is a fine-tipped forceps or tweezers. Without squeezing the body, use the tweezers to grab near where the tick is attached to your skin.

"You would just pinch as close as you can to the bottom of the tick, and then just pull it out in a single
continuous motion," Dr. Pritt explains.

The goal is to remove the tick as fast as possible without damaging it. Dispose of the tick in a sealed bag or container, or flush it down the toilet. Then, clean the bite area and your hands.

The post Mayo Clinic Minute: Tips to best remove ticks appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Myth or Matter-of-Fact: A cyst is a type of lump that is usually harmless.

Miss the program?  Here's the podcast: MayoClinicRadio PODCAST June 6

Follow #MayoClinicRadio and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is available on iHeartRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio is a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

To find and listen to archived shows, click here.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Lumps and Bumps/Tick-Borne Diseases/Picnic Planning appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

“We’ve already started getting positives for tick-borne disease such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and babesiosis,” says Bobbi Pritt, M.D., a Mayo Clinic microbiologist and director of the Clinical Parasitology and Virology Laboratories. That is a month or two earlier than normal for Minnesota and other states with unusually warm weather in recent months are likely seeing the same.

Dr. Pritt says there are several things people can do to protect themselves from ticks.

“The first thing is just tick avoidance -- staying out of areas where ticks are going to be present: tall grasses, shrubs, leaf litter,” Dr. Pritt says. “Also using insect repellant, such as DEET. You can also buy clothing that has been impregnated with pyrethroids, which is another type of insect repellant, and there are certain types of insect repellants for pets.”

Other countermeasures Dr. Pritt suggests:

*Keep grass short in yards and avoid ungroomed areas.

*Wear long clothing to prevent ticks from getting to your skin.

*Check yourself, your children and your pets after spending time outdoors.

*To reduce risk on hikes, stay on trails. If you leave the path, wear long pants tucked into your socks.

*If you find ticks, remove them right away. Use force and pinch the tick near its mouth parts, pulling the tick out slowly in a continuous motion. Don’t twist it, which may leave mouth parts embedded in the skin.

If you’ve been exposed to ticks, be alert for fever, headache and muscle pains, and if you experience them, see a physician and mention you’ve been exposed to ticks, Dr. Pritt says. A hallmark of Lyme disease is a bull’s-eye-patterned rash. If you do not recall getting a tick bite but have been working outdoors or visited other tick habitats and develop such symptoms, it is important to tell your doctor, she says.

One tick-related illness Dr. Pritt plans to keep special watch for this year is ehrlichiosis. She and other researchers in Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Centers for Disease Control announced last year they had found a new tick-borne bacterium causing ehrlichiosis in humans.

“It’s not very prevalent -- it’s not as common as Lyme, babesiosis and anaplasmosis, but now that we’re aware of it we’re detecting more cases, so we’re going to keep a close eye on it and see if the numbers go up over the years, now that we know what to look for,” Dr. Pritt says. Like many other tick-borne illnesses, symptoms of ehrlichiosis include headache, fever and muscle pains.

To schedule an interview with Dr. Pritt, please contact Sharon Theimer at 507-284-5005 or newsbureau@mayo.edu.

Video and a photo are available in downloads above.

Expert Title:  Bobbi Pritt, M.D., Mayo Clinic microbiologist and director of the Clinical Parasitology and Virology Laboratories.

The post Tick Alert: Mayo Clinic Expert Offers Tips for Avoiding, Spotting Tick-Borne Diseases appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.