As the vibrant summer season beckons outdoor enthusiasts to the trails and wild spaces of Grand County, colorado, awareness of potential natural hazards becomes crucial. While enjoying the stunning landscapes, it’s wise to consider the risk of tick bites and the diseases they can carry. Often, the primary concern people voice is about Lyme disease, a serious illness widely discussed in national news. However, the reality for those in Grand County is distinctly different. The ticks that transmit Lyme disease are not found locally. Understanding the actual tick-borne illness risks present in Colorado is key to staying safe and informed during your summer adventures. This guide will detail the local tick situation, the specific illnesses to be aware of, and practical steps for prevention and action if a tick bite occurs.
The Truth About Lyme Disease in Colorado
Rest easy, Grand County residents and visitors: Lyme disease is not a concern you need to have from a tick bite acquired within Colorado. This might sound surprising given how often Lyme is mentioned in relation to ticks, but it’s a fact confirmed by health experts and tick surveillance data. Dr. Meegan Leve, a pediatrician in the Colorado Mountain Medical network, often addresses parent concerns about Lyme disease during spring and summer, emphasizing this point.
The reason Lyme disease isn’t contracted from local Colorado ticks is simple: the specific tick species responsible for transmitting the illness do not live here. Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, which is primarily spread by the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) in the Eastern and Midwestern United States and the Western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus) on the Pacific Coast. Neither of these tick species has been established in Colorado. Therefore, any case of Lyme disease diagnosed in a Colorado resident was contracted during travel to an area where these ticks are prevalent. While travel-acquired Lyme disease is possible, a tick bite received within Grand County poses no risk for this specific illness.
What Ticks Are Found in Colorado?
While the Lyme-carrying ticks aren’t local, Colorado is certainly home to ticks – roughly 30 different species call the state home. These include species like the American dog tick, the brown dog tick, winter ticks, and ear ticks, among others.
For humans venturing outdoors in areas like Grand County, the tick most frequently encountered and responsible for bites is the Rocky Mountain wood tick (Dermacentor andersoni). It’s important to note this tick has a specific activity pattern linked to the seasons. The Rocky Mountain wood tick is most active during the warmer spring months. As the heat of mid-summer intensifies, these ticks tend to become less active and may even go dormant, seeking shelter from the heat. This means that while ticks are present, the peak activity period for the most common human biter in Colorado might actually be waning as summer fully arrives.
Real Tick-Borne Illness Risks in Colorado
Given that Lyme disease isn’t a local threat, what tick-borne illnesses are possible in Colorado? Health officials highlight a few potential, though generally uncommon, concerns.
Colorado Tick Fever (CTF)
The illness most frequently cited by experts as a potential tick-borne risk in Colorado is Colorado Tick Fever (CTF). This is a viral infection transmitted by the bite of an infected Rocky Mountain wood tick. According to Dr. Leve, CTF is likely underdiagnosed because its symptoms often mimic other common viral illnesses.
Typical symptoms include fever, headaches, and body aches. Sometimes, individuals might experience a brief period of feeling better before symptoms return, a pattern known as a “biphasic” fever. CTF is relatively uncommon. Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows only 223 documented cases reported from 10 states, including Colorado, between 2003 and 2022. Many milder cases may resolve on their own without a specific diagnosis or even medical attention, contributing to the underreporting. Diagnosing CTF requires a specific laboratory test, which isn’t always performed, especially if symptoms are mild and improve quickly.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF)
Despite its name, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is actually quite rare in Colorado. Health professionals, including Dr. Leve, consider it a serious illness and something doctors worry about, but its primary geographic distribution is in the southeastern United States, not the Rocky Mountain region.
RMSF is a bacterial illness that can be severe. Symptoms often include a sudden, high fever, intense headache, significant muscle pain, and a rash. The rash typically begins on the wrists and ankles before potentially spreading across the body. If not treated promptly with antibiotics, especially in children, RMSF can be fatal. While possible, the risk of contracting RMSF from a tick bite in Grand County is considered very low due to the infrequent presence of the disease-carrying ticks in this region.
Other Potential Risks (Tularemia)
Beyond CTF and RMSF, other bacterial illnesses like Tularemia can also be transmitted by ticks, though it’s less commonly discussed than Lyme or CTF. Tularemia can also be spread by other means, like handling infected animals. If transmitted by a tick bite, symptoms can include fever, skin ulcers at the bite site, and swollen lymph nodes. Like other bacterial tick-borne illnesses, it requires antibiotic treatment. Awareness of Tularemia adds another layer to understanding the potential (though rare) spectrum of tick-borne issues in the state.
Protecting Yourself: Tick Prevention Strategies
Even though Lyme disease isn’t a local threat and other tick-borne illnesses in Colorado are relatively uncommon, taking precautions against tick bites is still a smart practice for anyone spending time outdoors in Grand County, particularly in areas known for tick habitats. Prevention is the best defense.
Ticks are typically found in wooded or brushy areas, especially where there is tall grass or leaf litter. When hiking or recreating in these environments, health experts recommend several strategies to minimize exposure:
Wear Protective Clothing: Cover exposed skin as much as possible. Opt for long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Tucking your pant legs into your socks is a simple yet effective way to prevent ticks from crawling up your legs. Wearing light-colored clothing makes it easier to spot ticks that may land on you.
Use Tick Repellents: Apply insect repellent containing active ingredients recommended by public health agencies. Repellents containing 20-30% DEET, 10-20% Picaridin, or 30-40% oil of lemon eucalyptus are generally effective against ticks. For added protection, products containing Permethrin can be used to treat clothing and gear (like boots or tents), but Permethrin should not be applied directly to skin. Always follow product instructions carefully.
Stick to Trails: When hiking, try to stay on marked trails and avoid walking through dense brush or tall grass when possible.
Create Tick-Safe Zones: Around your home, especially if you live near wooded areas, you can reduce tick presence by keeping lawns mowed, clearing brush and leaf litter, and placing barriers like wood chips or gravel between your yard and wooded areas.
Perform Thorough Tick Checks: This is perhaps the most critical step. After spending time outdoors, conduct a full-body tick check on yourself, your children, and your pets. Ticks can attach anywhere, but commonly found spots include underarms, ears, belly buttons, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waistline, and in the hair. Ticks can be quite small, sometimes resembling a speck of dirt or a freckle, so look closely.
Taking a shower or bath within two hours of coming indoors is also recommended, as it can help wash off any unattached ticks and provides another opportunity to check for attached ones.
What to Do If You Find a Tick
Discovering a tick attached to your skin can be unnerving, but it’s important to stay calm. Prompt and proper removal is key. Health professionals advise using fine-tipped tweezers to remove an attached tick.
Here’s how to do it:
- Grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible with the tweezers.
- Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Do not twist or jerk the tick, as this can cause the mouthparts to break off and remain in the skin.
- Avoid crushing the tick’s body.
- After removing the tick, clean the bite area and your hands thoroughly with soap and water or rubbing alcohol.
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Avoid using “folk remedies” like petroleum jelly, nail polish, or heat (like a match) to remove a tick. These methods are ineffective and can actually irritate the tick, potentially causing it to release more fluid into the bite site.
Dr. Leve notes that, for ticks removed in Colorado, sending the tick itself for testing is usually not necessary or helpful. Tick testing can be slow, and medical treatment decisions for potential severe illnesses like RMSF are made based on a patient’s symptoms and clinical evaluation, not on tick test results.
When to Seek Medical Attention
If you find a tick on yourself or a family member, monitor for symptoms of illness in the days and weeks following the bite. While most tick bites do not result in illness, knowing what to watch for is important.
If, within about a week or two of a known tick bite received in Colorado, you develop symptoms such as:
Fever
Headache
Body aches
Muscle pain
A rash (especially one starting on wrists/ankles or any unusual rash)
It is advisable to seek medical evaluation. Be sure to inform your doctor about the tick bite. This information can help them consider tick-borne illnesses as a possibility, even if they are uncommon locally. Furthermore, if you have traveled to areas known to have Lyme-carrying ticks (such as the East Coast of the U.S.) and experience symptoms after returning to Colorado, it is crucial to mention your travel history to your healthcare provider. Early diagnosis and treatment of travel-acquired Lyme disease are vital to prevent potential long-term health complications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lyme disease a risk from local ticks in Grand County, Colorado?
No, Lyme disease is not a risk from ticks acquired within Grand County or anywhere in Colorado. The specific tick species that carry the bacteria causing Lyme disease, the blacklegged tick and Western blacklegged tick, are not found in the state. Any Lyme disease case in a Colorado resident is contracted during travel to areas where those ticks live.
What steps should I take to prevent tick bites when hiking in Colorado?
Preventing tick bites involves wearing long sleeves and pants, tucking pants into socks, wearing light-colored clothing, using insect repellents with recommended active ingredients (like DEET or Picaridin) on skin, and Permethrin on clothing/gear. Stick to established trails, avoid dense brush, and perform thorough tick checks on yourself, children, and pets after spending time outdoors, particularly checking areas like underarms, behind knees, and hair.
What are the most common tick-borne illnesses to watch for in Colorado?
While relatively uncommon, the primary tick-borne illness to be aware of in Colorado is Colorado Tick Fever (CTF), a viral illness transmitted by the Rocky Mountain wood tick. Symptoms include fever, headache, and body aches, and it often resolves on its own. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is a more severe bacterial illness, but despite its name, it is rare in Colorado. Tularemia is another less common bacterial illness potentially spread by ticks in the state.
Enjoying Grand County Safely
Summer in Grand County offers incredible opportunities for outdoor recreation, from hiking and camping to fishing and exploring local trails. While ticks are a part of the natural environment, understanding the actual risks specific to this region empowers you to take effective, targeted precautions. By focusing on prevention strategies like proper clothing, repellent use, and diligent tick checks, you can significantly reduce your risk of tick bites. Knowing the symptoms of local tick-borne illnesses like Colorado Tick Fever and seeking medical advice when warranted ensures you can address any potential issues promptly. Stay informed, stay protected, and enjoy the beauty of Colorado’s high country this summer.
