Dear Parents/Guardian,
This is a reminder that tick season is upon us. We encourage you to check your children for ticks or signs of a tick bite each day.
While we do not check students for ticks while they are at school, it is possible that a tick will be discovered. In that case, the school nurse will notify you if a tick is found on your student while they are at school.
Additional information regarding ticks and tickborne diseases can be found below and on the attached document. Please take a minute to review this information..
Tick Bite Prevention Tips:
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Wear light-colored clothing, which makes ticks more visible; wear long-sleeve shirts and tuck pant legs into socks.
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Avoid tick infested areas by walking in the center of trails to avoid contact with overgrown grass, brush, and leaf litter at trail edges.
Perform Tick Checks:
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Always check for ticks after being outdoors. Early removal can reduce the risk for infection.
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If you find a tick on your child, grasp the tick as close to your skin as possible and smoothly pull the tick from the skin with fine point tweezers. Wash the skin with soap and water.
Early Lyme Disease
The tick must be attached to human skin for about 24 hours to transfer Lyme disease-causing bacteria. A rash appearing around the bite area, a flu-like illness and joint swelling may all be symptoms of Lyme disease. About 20 to 30 percent of infected people do not develop a rash but may show early symptoms of the disease, such as fever, headache, and fatigue. If Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics in the early stages, recovery is usually rapid and complete. If left undetected, the disease could cause other health issues.
More information on ticks is available on the websites below:
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Pennsylvania Department of Health
PA Department of Health Tick Poster
Thank you,
BASD School Nurses