Anyone can get Colorado Tick Fever who lives or travels in areas of the western United States and Canada at elevations above 5000 feet and who comes in contact with infected ticks, especially Dermacentor andersoni, also known as the wood tick.
Table of contents |
2 Symptoms 3 Removing ticks 4 Prevention |
The symptoms generally begin 4 to 5 days after being bitten by an infected tick.
Avoid tick infested areas, especially during the warmer months. Wear light colored clothing so ticks can be easily seen. Wear a long sleeved shirt, hat, long pants, and tuck your pant legs into your socks. Walk in the center of trails to avoid overhanging grass and brush. Check your body every few hours for ticks when you spend a lot of time outdoors in tick infested areas. Ticks are most often found on the thigh, arms, underarms and legs. Ticks can be very small (no bigger than a pinhead). Look carefully for new "freckles". Use insect repellents containing DEET on your skin or permethrin on clothing. Be sure to follow the directions on the container and wash off repellents when going indoors. Remove attached ticks immediately.