After a catastrophe where you would be forced to bug out and travel outside for some time, some benign insect bites could, in some situations, cause real trouble. Here, we discuss Tick bites and the problems they may cause.
What is a Tick?
A Tick is a small arachnid that typically measures between 3 and 5 mm. Close cousins to spiders, they’ve been around for millions of years. They love heat and humidity.
Their presence has increased in the last decade, especially in the northern parts of USA and southern parts of Canada, where they were almost never encountered in the past. Their primary habitat is in rural and forest areas, but they are found more and more in urban areas like parks for example.
You will often find them perched on long herbs and small bushes. From there, they will grip on animals or humans that pass by.
Do all Tick bites cause Major Illness?
Most Tick bites do not transmit harmful diseases.
A small percentage does. The most commonly-known tick transmitted disease is Lyme disease. Other, rarer diseases can also be transmitted by Tick bites like:
Babesiosis: Caused by a parasite transferred by the Tick bites, that cause fever, anemia and that are similar to those of malaria. Uncommon but emerging in Northeastern and Midwestern United States and parts of Europe, and sporadic throughout the rest of the world.
Human granulocytic anaplasmosis: Caused by a bacteria transferred by the Tick bites, it may cause many symptoms like fever, headache, nausea, cough, … It sometimes can lead to more major issues like respiratory or kidney failure.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever: Can be transferred by the American Levi Tick or the Dog Tick. This is one of the more major illness caused by the R. rickettsii bacteria that will cause fever and nausea in the early stages, and skin rashes later on.
Powassan encephalitis: A very rare illness caused by the Powassan virus transmitted by Tick bites. This illness is serious and may cause death in 10-15% of cases.
Nice to know: When a Tick bites, you will not feel the bite, as the tick’s saliva is filled with anaesthetic and antihistamines. The effects will only come after the bite.
How do I prevent Tick bites?
Here are 8 ways to lower the risk of getting a Tick bite.
- Use bug repellent: DEET or Icaridin insect repellents are very efficient against various insects, including Ticks. Depending on the product, they will protect you for 1 to 8 hours. Our choice is Sawyer Products Premium Insect Repellent with 20% Picaridin which will protect you against ticks for 8-12 hours against Ticks.
- Wear closed shoes/boots: You may also want to tuck your pants in your socks or boots. You can take a look at our choice for a great survival boot here.
- Tuck your shirt: This will prevent the Tick to access your torso.
- Wear light colours: This will help you spot any bug that’s attached to them easily.
- Leave your clothes in the dryer (or under the sun on a dry surface): This will eventually kill the ticks that could have attached to your clothes.
- Buy clothes treated with repellent: Bug free clothing will do the job the same way the bug repellent works.
- Check yourself: After you’ve been in areas where ticks can be located, make sure to check your skin. The faster you see them, the less damage they can make. These “sweet” spots are important to check: armpits, behind the knees, under the ponytail, behind the ears, between the toes and around the belly-button.
- Take a shower after your walk in the woods: Not easy when you bug out. But if you find a source of clean water, washing yourself will help remove any tick that has not gripped firmly well enough to your skin.
