A classic bulls-eye rash presented on Brooklyn Schimpf just two days following a tick bite. The bulls-eye rash is indicative of Lyme disease.
by T. Martin-Schmunk
of The Crossroads
Ticks are still a cause for concern in Leader and surrounding areas.
A 10 year-old girl from Leader presented with a bulls-eye rash following what is believed to be a tick bite on Wednesday, Aug. 15.
Brooklyn Schimpf was participating in a community Colour Run in Abbey on Aug. 15. She felt a bite on the side of her face and brushed at the spot with her hand. They did not see or remove a tick. A red welt was evident the next morning.
On Friday, Aug. 17, a prominent bulls-eye rash appeared. The bulls-eye rash is indicative of Lyme disease.
Brooklyn’s parents took immediate action by visiting Dr. Hanna at the Leader Primary Health Care Clinic and received aggressive antibiotic treatment. They continue to work with pharmacist Joe Dirk and have received recommendations from Leanne Watts who is currently living with Lyme disease.
Area residents still need to be vigilant regarding ticks. Nymph ticks are more prevalent during the spring and early summer months, while adult ticks are a bigger threat in the fall. They favour bush and wooded areas as well as tall grassy areas.
Canlyme.com recommends the top five precautions to take:
- Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts. Tuck your pants into your socks to prevent ticks from getting inside your pants.
- Check your clothes for ticks often. Ticks will climb upwards until they find an area of exposed skin.
- Wear light coloured clothing to make it easier to spot ticks.
- Walk on pathways or trails when possible staying in the middle. Avoid low-lying brush or tall grass.
- Apply insect repellent to your skin and clothing (inside and out), especially at the openings such as ankle, wrist and neck.
According to canlyme.com, spray repellents containing 20 per cent Icaridin (Picaridin) are considered to be the most effective in repelling ticks, mosquitoes and other insects.
Following outdoor activities, remove any visible ticks off your clothes and then put your clothes immediately into the clothes dryer first (20 minutes on high heat), then wash.
Canlyme.com is a valuable source of information. No tick is a good tick – err on the side of precaution.
