Colorado sees uptick in ticks that can cause disease in people and pets: What you can do

Miles Blumhardt, Fort Collins Coloradoan
Updated ·5 min read

First, it was miller moths. Soon, it will be mosquitoes causing a nuisance to those enjoying Colorado's outdoors.

But now, it's ticks.

While miller moths pose zero risk to people, the same cannot be said for ticks, which carry potential health risks — especially this season, when ticks are flourishing in urban and rural areas thanks to our cool, wet spring.

Here is what you need to know, according to various experts:

What tick diseases can you get if bitten in Colorado?

  • Colorado tick fever: This is by far the most common tick-borne disease in Colorado, with about 200 cases reported per year in Colorado. Symptoms are similar to flu, including headache, fever/chill and fatigue. It is not fatal. Rocky Mountain wood ticks are the vector of this disease, and symptoms usually develop between three and seven days after the bite. In half the cases, there will be a few days of symptoms, followed by recovery and then a second round of symptoms. Normally, recovery is complete and symptoms disappear within a few days or weeks.

  • Rocky Mountain spotted fever: This disease is rare in Colorado, with a couple of cases, at most, reported per year. It can be life-threatening if left untreated. Early symptoms include headaches, upset stomach and a rash that often develops a few days after fever symptoms. Physician-prescribed antibiotics are required for treatment. Rocky Mountain wood ticks carry the disease in Colorado, but the pathogen can also be transmitted by American dog ticks and brown dog ticks.

  • Tick-borne relapsing fever: Like Rocky Mountain spotted fever, this disease is rare. Symptoms include high fever, headache and muscle/joint aches, often in a cyclical pattern. The disease is carried by the Ornithodorus hermsi tick, which is associated with nesting rodents. Humans are usually bitten when sleeping in rustic cabins where rodents are present behind walls, from which the ticks may emerge at night to feed.

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Can you get Lyme disease in Colorado? That's a controversial question

This is the most controversial issue regarding tick-borne diseases in Colorado.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment says there have been no reported cases of Lyme disease originating in the state. It says the handful of cases reported from Colorado residents are from those who appear to have acquired the disease while out of state.

The reason for this conclusion is that the tick that carries the disease, known as the blacklegged tick or deer tick, is not found in Colorado.

Others argue ticks closely related to blacklegged and deer ticks are among Colorado's 27 tick species and therefore the potential for the disease is real.

Either way, if you develop any tick-borne disease symptoms, see a medical health professional.

Tick prevention: Facts and tips to avoid being bitten

Ticks are most active spring into early summer. They are commonly found in brushy areas along edges of fields and woodlands or commonly traveled paths through grassy areas and shrublands in urban and rural areas.

With that in mind, here are tips to avoid being bitten:

  • If walking on trails, stay to the middle to avoid brushing grasses.

  • Avoid sitting on logs or against trees. Use a blanket or tarp to avoid sitting directly on the ground.

  • Treat clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin, or you can purchase permethrin-treated clothing and gear. Do not place products with Permethrin directly on your skin.

  • Use repellants containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. You can apply these products to clothing or the skin. Do not use products containing OLE or PMD on children under 3 years old.

  • Wear light-colored clothing to make it easier to find ticks. Tuck long-sleeved pants into socks; button long-sleeved shirts and tuck into pants; wear hats; and place long hair in braids to minimize access to skin.

  • Check clothing for ticks before entering your house. For more protection, tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill any ticks that may be present on the clothing.

  • Shower immediately when returning home, making sure to check for ticks under your arms, in and around your ears, in your belly button, behind your knees, in and around your hairline, between your legs and around your waist.

  • Examine and remove any ticks on pets before entering your house and use tick and flea collars. Avoid sleeping with pets.

  • The Rocky Mountain wood tick, Colorado's most common tick, typically takes 12 to 24 hours to start feeding, which gives you time to do a body tick check — an effective alternative to using repellents. The Rocky Mountain wood tick is also among the easiest to remove from your skin because it has relatively short mouthparts.

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What to do if bitten by a tick in Colorado

  • Grasp the tick with fine-tipped tweezers as close to the skin as possible. If tweezers are not available and you must use your fingers, cover them with tissue or thin plastic to avoid the possible transmission of disease.

  • Pull the tick slowly and steadily, straight away from the skin. Try not to crush the tick as you remove it.

  • After the tick is removed, treat the bite site with a disinfectant. Wash your hands with hot water and soap.

  • If you develop a rash or fever within several weeks of removing a tick, see your health care professional, making sure to note when the bite occurred, where you most likely acquired the tick and any identifying features of the tick.

Do not fall for these popularized ways to remove ticks

  • Do not cover them with petroleum jelly, apply nail polish to them or touch them with a hot match.

  • Do not crush a tick with your fingers. Instead, dispose of a live tick by putting it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag/container, wrapping it tightly in tape or flushing it down the toilet.

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This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado tick season: How to prevent tick-borne diseases, remove ticks