|
|
 |
|
Straight
Track #63 Railroaders On Heightened Alert During
According to the
Occupational Safety and Heath Administration (OSHA) bulletin, railroaders and
others working outdoors in areas with tall grasses, shrubs, or low hanging
branches are at risk for being bitten by ticks infected with Lyme disease,
especially during spring and early summer months.
The OSHA bulletin
noted the 33-fold increase in the number of reported Lyme disease cases since
1982, and frankly stated that some estimates indicate as few as 10% of tick
borne disease cases are actually reported.
Because the OSHA bulletin stated that ticks are most plentiful during
this particular time of the year, we thought it an important work-related health
issue that warranted another round of attention.
Lyme disease is
caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a bacterium carried by certain ticks. When
infected ticks attach themselves to the human body (often in the armpit, groin,
or scalp), they slowly feed, and within 36-48 hours they may transmit Borrelia
burgdorferi to their human host. Although
young ticks are especially abundant in late spring and early summer, adult ticks
can transmit infection as well.
The Center for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates since national surveillance began
in 1982 the number of reported Lyme disease cases rose from 497 to 16,801 cases
in 1998. While cases of Lyme disease have been reported in 48 of the
50 states, the areas with the highest risk are the northeast states from
Massachusetts to Maryland, the north-central states including Wisconsin and
Minnesota, and an area in northern California.
Most people with
Lyme Disease develop a "bulls-eye" rash, although somewhere between
20-40% of infected persons do not develop a rash.
Other signs and symptoms of the infection are similar to the flu,
including fever, lymph node swelling, neck stiffness, generalized fatigue,
headaches, migrating joint aches, or muscle aches.
Most cases of Lyme
disease can be successfully treated with antibiotics, but the OSHA report notes
that it is essential that Lyme disease be diagnosed, since untreated Lyme
disease may result in severe, chronic and disabling symptoms, including
arthritis, muscle pain, heart disease, brain and nerve disorders.
The ticks that carry
Lyme disease, as well as several other diseases, are the black-legged tick in
the eastern United States, and the western black-legged tick along the west
coast. The lone star tick is also a possible carrier. The ticks can carry
disease in their larval, nymph, or adult stages.
In the larval stage they may look like small black specks, the nymph is
about the size of a poppy seed, and the adults can be less than 1/8 inch (3 mm)
long.
The following facts and
preventive measures from the OSHA report will help you protect yourself against
the dangers of tick-borne diseases.
How do Ticks Get on a Person
-
Ticks do not
jump, crawl, or fall onto a person. They are picked up when your clothing or
hair brushes a leaf or other object they are on.
-
Ticks are
generally found within three feet of the ground.
-
Once picked
up, they will crawl until they find a likely site to feed.
Often they will find a spot at the back of a knee, near the hairline,
or behind the ears.
Precautionary
Measures
The
best way to prevent tick borne diseases is not to be being bitten by a tick.
There are several things you can do which will lessen your chance of
being bitten.
-
Wear long
pants and a long sleeved shirt, tuck the shirt into your pants, tuck the
pants into your socks or boots or use tape to close the opening were they
meet.
-
Wear a hat,
tie back long hair.
-
Use an EPA
approved insect repellant or arachnicide (pesticide) which is effective for
ticks, such as DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) or pyrethrin. Be sure and
follow all precautionary information, and be aware that some people are
sensitive to these chemicals.
-
Wear light
colored clothing so that a tick can be seen better.
-
Change clothes
when you return from an area where ticks may be located.
-
Shower to wash
off any loose ticks.
Tick
Check and Removal
-
Check clothing
for ticks on a frequent basis. If
you find a tick, do a more thorough tick check.
-
When you
return from an area where ticks may be located, check all of your body for
ticks. It may be helpful to have someone else check your back
or other areas that are difficult to see.
Be sure to include:
-
Parts that bend (back of knee, between fingers and toes,
underarms).
-
Pressure points where clothing presses against skin (underwear
elastic, belts, neck).
-
Other common areas (belly button, around or in ear, hairline, top
of head).
-
Once inside do
a final thorough tick check and clothing change.
-
If you are in
a tick infested area or an area known to have disease-carrying ticks,
perform the checks on a more regular basis.
-
Remove
unattached ticks promptly.
-
Attached ticks
are promptly removed using fine pointed tweezers:
-
The mouth parts of the tick
are grasped with the tweezers as close to the skin as possible;
-
Apply firm steady pressure
upward until the tick releases - do not jerk, twist, squash or squeeze
the tick;
-
Clean the wound and the
tweezers with an antiseptic.
-
DO NOT
use petroleum jelly or nail polish remover, or prick or BURN the
tick, these actions can cause infected juices to enter the wound.
Other
Steps You Can Take:
-
Place clothing
worn in tick infested areas into the dryer for at least 30 minutes in order
to kill any ticks.
-
Be sure and
check pets and other animals for ticks. Use approved tick repellants or
products which kill ticks.
-
If you want to
have the tick checked for disease, place the tick in a clean vial or ziplock
bag with a blade of grass, then contact your State Health Department for
more information.
[top]
|
|
Union Approved
FELA Lawyers
|
