Ticks are one of the hidden risks of enjoying the great outdoors, with infections related to tick bites most frequently developing during the spring and summer months. These tiny, clingy, easy-to-miss arachnids — related to mites, spiders, and scorpions — feed on the blood of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.

They live in elevations as high as 10,000+ feet, and can spread bacteria, viruses and parasites that cause human diseases. Humans alert ticks of their location by their body heat, breath, motion, and scent.

“Tick borne illnesses encompass a wide range of diseases, and location of exposure is extremely important in determining risk,” said Dr. Elizabeth Kleiner, an infectious disease specialist with CommonSpirit Health. “You must be in the location of a tick habitat to contract disease.”

A Colorado native, Dr. Kleiner graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and is board certified in Infectious Disease and Internal Medicine.

Tick populations change every year, based on access to places they like to live, the species they feed on, and the weather. They live in grassy, bushy, or wooded areas with trees and shrubs, or on animals. Ticks like places with leaf litter; a layer of decaying plant material. When you encounter their realms, remain on trails and check yourself before leaving for home.

Common Spirit Health is a dedicated, mission-driven healthcare system that operates clinics and hospitals across 21 states, providing comprehensive healthcare services to diverse communities.

Knowledge is power!

The best defense against tick-borne disease? Be aware, reduce exposure and have prevention strategies in your toolkit.

Be cognizant of ticks when camping, gardening, hiking, and walking your dog. Be vigilant in your own yard, picking up leaf litter and mowing your grass regularly, and keep a careful watch when out in your neighborhood. Take steps to keep ticks off pets, giving monthly tick preventative medication or using a tick collar.

In Colorado, four ticks are tracked:

1. Rocky Mountain Wood Tick (Dermacentor andersoni)
   Found in Rocky Mountain States and Southwest Canada from elevations of 4,000 to 10,500 feet, these ticks can live for up to two years without feeding on a host. Their bright reddish teardrop-shaped bodies are differentiated by the female’s white shield and gray-and-white-spotted bodies of males.
2. American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis)
   Areas without tree cover — walkways, trails, grassy fields — are preferred by these ticks, who can live two to three years without feeding on a host. Check your dog’s head, ears, back, armpits, and between their toes for these oval-shaped ticks that have a dark reddish-brown, flat body. Females have a large cream-colored shield, while males are speckled.
3. Brown Dog Tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus)
   This tick feeds primarily on dogs but may also bite humans or other mammals. They can reproduce indoors in building cracks and crevices, and are often found in homes or kennels, hence their alias as “Kennel Tick.” Both genders have flat, reddish-brown, oval bodies that may become gray-blue or olive color when they swell with blood.
4. Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum)
   Habitats with heavy vegetation and wooded areas are preferred by these ticks, that hide under piles of wood and debris. They frequently bite humans, dogs, and livestock. The females’ large diamond-shaped brown shield typically has a whitish dot.

Tracking numbers from the state of Colorado between 2014 and 2019 report 162 cases for the Rocky Mountain Wood Tick, 181 for the American Dog Tick, 43 for the Brown Dog Tick and four for the Lone Star Tick.

“Improved testing and tracking have led to more reported cases that make it appear that prevalence is increasing,” said Dr. Kleiner. “Climate change has impacted tick activity and distribution, as has suburban development, playing a role in the steady increase in the number of tick-borne disease cases over the past decades.”

Tick borne illnesses endemic to Colorado include the following:

• Colorado Tick Fever, a viral infection transmitted from the bite of an infected Rocky Mountain Wood tick that can cause chills, headaches, body aches and lethargy;
• Tick Borne Relapsing Fever, a primary bacterial infectious disease which results in symptoms (fever, headache, muscle pains) that recur in an on-again, off-again pattern;
• Tularemia, an infectious disease with symptoms that may include fever, skin ulcers, and enlarged lymph nodes; and
• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, a tickborne bacterial infection that manifests with fever and headaches, followed a few days later by a rash.

Minimize your risk

To help keep ticks at bay:

• Wear lighter colored clothing; you want to be able to see dark ticks and minimize exposure of as much skin as possible. Long-sleeved shirts should be tucked into long pants, which should be tucked into long socks. Wearing a hat can also be helpful.
• Use an EPA-registered insect repellent. Be sure to follow the directions on package labels. Sunscreen should be applied before insect repellent. Lotion/pump/towelette repellents are preferable over spray (reducing the risk of inhalation).
• Shake clothing outside.
• After coming inside, check clothing for ticks. Be sure to pay attention to pants waistband, bra band and sock cuffs.
• Dry clothes can be tumbled in the dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks; wash dirty clothes in hot water and dry them on a high setting.
• Examine outdoor gear and pets.
• Do a body check using a hand-held mirror to see all parts of your body. Starting from the head, inspect your hair, behind your ears, and move on to your chest and around your waist, inside the belly button, between legs and back of knees. (A companion can assist in checking places you cannot see.)
• Shower within two hours of returning home.

According to Dr. Kleiner, ticks generally need to be feeding/attached for more than 48-72 hours to transmit illness. Getting the tick off as soon as possible can help lower the chances that you will get a tick-borne illness.

If you do find a tick, she recommends removing it as soon as possible with a pair of tweezers and advises not waiting to see a physician to remove it. Here are Dr. Kleiner’s instructions for tick removal:

• Grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible and pull the tick away from the skin with steady, even pressure.
• Avoid breaking off the tick mouthparts and leaving them in the skin. If you are unable to remove the mouth parts, leave them alone; your body will push out these parts as it heals.

To dispose of a live tick, you can place it in a sealed container, wrap it in tape, flush down the toilet, or put it in alcohol.

“Do not crush the tick with your fingers,” said Dr. Kleiner. “Cleanse the area of the bite with soap and water, rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. Check your body carefully for other ticks. If you develop a rash or fever within several days to weeks after removing a tick, see your physician.”

Most tick bites do not lead to diseases, but if you develop symptoms, make a note of when you may have gotten bitten and the location to assist your doctor.

CommonSpirit Health has healthcare providers to help you with all your medical concerns. Visit www.mountain.commonspirit.org/ to learn more about the organization and find a provider near you.