Health officials

aren't calling it a tick outbreak exactly, but recent wet, warm weather

may have brought an increase in the numbers of the little pests.

"We haven't

heard an unusual number of complaints this year," said JoAnn Collins,

a nurse at the Fayette County Health Department. "But with the climate

changes we may have more bugs."

Residents of

the Smokerise area of Peachtree City say the woods are full of them, with

trips outdoors almost always resulting in the irritating bugs hitching

a ride inside.

And that can

mean more than just an itchy bite. Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted

fever and nasty infections are among the ills ticks can cause.

Lyme disease

is caused by a bacterium carried by the tiny pests. It shows up as a ringlike

swollen rash at the site of the tick bite, three to 22 days after the

bite.

The rash, usually

a bright red outer ring and lighter center, is frequently accompanied

or nausea, along with joint pain. But don't count on the rash to diagnose

the illness. Sometimes the other symptoms occur without it.

If you get

flu-like symptoms after a tick bite, see a doctor, the Health Department

advises. The disease is easily treated in the early stages, when the symptoms

aren't so bad. In later stages, the joint pain can be severe with permanent

destruction of bone and cartilage.

Rocky Mountain

spotted fever also is caused by a bacteria-like organism and is characterized

fever" refers to a rash that crops up two to four days after the

fever starts. The rash usually starts on the hands and feet and spreads

to most of the body, and is easily misdiagnosed as measles.

If you're having

the symptoms and have been bitten, diagnosis can be confirmed by a blood

test. Antibiotics will take care of it.

Lyme disease

is usually carried by the black-legged tick, and spotted fever by the

American dog and lone star ticks.

The best way

to avoid these diseases is to avoid tick bites. The Health Department

suggests that if you're in the woods:

Wear long

pants. Tuck the pant leg into your socks and tuck your shirt under your

belt. This way, you force the tick to move up toward your head, where

it's more easily detected. Under your clothing, it can do its damage before

you realize it's there.

Use a repellent.

A repellent containing "deet" is available in many brands. Bottled

deet can be rubbed on the skin and will normally last several hours. Deet

in aerosols can be sprayed on clothing for added protection. Another product,

Permanone, is sprayed only on the clothing and not only repels but kills

the ticks. The Health Department suggests using deet on the skin and Permanone

on the clothing.

Check yourself

for ticks at least twice a day. There is evidence that the longer an infected

tick feeds, the greater the chance it has of transmitting a disease.

Remove imbedded

ticks with forceps or cloth or paper wrapped around the tick as near to

the point of attachment as possible. Use a firm, steady pull. Do not jerk

or twist. If you break off the mouth parts, the site could get infected.

Do not use unprotected fingers, and apply a disinfectant to the site after

removal.

Health officials

also offer some hints to keep ticks away from your house.

Cut the grass

... ticks like long grass.

Treat the

dog with an approved pesticide for ticks, and fence the yard to keep out

other dogs.

Use a pesticide

in the yard that's made for ticks. The County Extension Service can advise

you.

Be sure to

read and follow directions for all pesticides and repellents.

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