Nasty Diseases You Can Catch From Fleas And Ticks In Your Own Backyard

Even if you’re diligent about staying away from wooded areas and tall grass, fleas, and ticks could still be lurking right in your own backyard. This might not seem like a big deal, but exposure to these tiny pests comes with huge consequences. You can protect your family and pets from these horrible diseases by opting for a pest control application from TruGreen.

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Tularemia

Tularemia can infect humans and our pets -especially pets in the rodent family like mice, rats, guinea pigs, and rabbits. Tularemia is spread through the bite of infected ticks, but it can also be spread through skin contact and airborne particles. Many people don’t get bit by the tick itself but will accidentally contact the bacteria when cleaning up the cage of their pets, at which time, they are exposed to dust particles. All victims of tularemia will experience a fever. If you did manage to fall ill from a direct tick bite, you’d notice an ulcer near the original bite site. Tularemia also causes swelling of the lymph nodes, and it will enter your bloodstream where it can move to vital organs like the lungs – if you don’t seek medical attention right away.

Lyme Disease

While COVID-19 is getting all the media attention these days, Lyme disease should definitely be on your radar. It’s the most common vector-borne disease in the US, but thankfully, only one tick species is known to carry it. Black-legged ticks, also known as deer ticks, are the only species that can carry this horrible disease. If left untreated, it will leave to lifelong illness that impacts the major organs and joints. Fortunately, if caught early, medical professionals can wipe out Lyme disease with a round of powerful antibiotics. The following are all Lyme disease symptoms, though the most severe are more likely to occur if you don’t seek medical treatment.

• Fever
• Chills
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Muscle and joint aches
• Swollen lymph nodes
• A bullseye red ring around the bite
• Bad headaches
• Neck stiffness
• Droopy facial muscles
• Arthritis
• Severe joint pain
• Irregular heartbeat
• Dizziness
• Shortness of breath
• Inflammation of brain or spinal cord

Babesiosis

Also carried by the black-legged tick, babesiosis is spread via a parasite within the blood of infected ticks. As with Lyme disease, the longer these ticks stay attached, you are more likely to contract the disease. While it’s not a guarantee, if a tick hasn’t latched on for more than 24 hours, you’re less likely to contract babesiosis. That’s why it’s so important to remove ticks as soon as you find one. And since we don’t often experience the freezing temperatures of the northern US, black-legged ticks are pretty much a concern all year long. It could take anywhere from one to eight weeks for symptoms to develop, but if you live with children, seniors, or immunocompromised individuals, you should consider opting for tick control. Babesiosis is more likely to hit those demographics harder. Symptoms of babesiosis include the following:

• Fever
• Chills
• Headache
• Joint and muscle aches
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Dark urine

Anaplasmosis (HGA)

HGA is particularly nasty. Spread via bacteria, HGA attacks white blood cells. And like all the diseases on this list, the longer you wait to seek treatment, the worse the disease will be. HGA typically exhibits symptoms one to two weeks after exposure and can include any of the following:

• Fever
• Headache – which usually doesn’t respond to over the counter medication
• Chills
• Muscle and joint aches
• Fatigue
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Cough

Tapeworm

Tapeworm is another infection that can harm both humans and pets. Fleas carry this disease, but it’s not transmitted through their bites – it strikes through oral exposure. Dogs and cats will use their teeth to groom themselves when they’ve experienced a painful bite, and scratching with their claws doesn’t cut it. When they use their teeth to satisfy the itch, they may accidentally swallow an infected flea. Children can contract tapeworm simply because they put things in their mouths. Once inside a host, the tapeworm will break off parts of its body and make its way to the digestive tract. Tapeworm bodies are specially evolved to break off in designated sections. These broken pieces will appear in the fecal matter – which is how you can tell if your pet or child has a tapeworm infection. These broken bits of worm look like grains of white rice in fecal matter. Fortunately, this condition can be treated by medical professionals, but the best medicine is to prevent it from happening in the first place.

Don’t Leave Your Yard Unguarded – Get Flea And Tick Control

You don’t have to be afraid in your own outdoor space. Get flea and tick control from TruGreen! Our pest control service will not only eradicate any bugs lurking on your property, but we’ll also point out where problem areas exist on your property. That way, you can make sure your yard isn’t attractive to pests in the future. In addition to flea and tick, we also offer fire ant control and perimeter pest control to keep bugs out of your home. To learn more or schedule an appointment, give us a call at the following.

If you need service in Louisiana, call 1-225-465-0665. You can also like our local Baton Rouge Facebook page here.

If you live in Mississippi, call 1-662-330-1330. You can also like our local Tupelo office on Facebook here.

You can also send us a message online here.

And don’t forget to check out our blog page for more helpful articles on maintaining a pest-free and lush green lawn!