Warm Weather Watch-Out! for Tick Borne Diseases

With the warm weather finally here, please be aware of the potential exposure to ticks and tick-borne diseases. There is several different types of diseases that can be spread to humans from the bite of a tick.  The most common are Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis, and Ehrlichiosis. 

Ticks live in or near wooded or grassy areas but can still be found in yards in your neighborhoods.  It is especially important to check your body for ticks after being outdoors.  Use a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body.  Be sure to check these parts of your body:

• Under the arms
• In/around the ears
• Inside belly button
• Back of the knees
• In/around the hair
• Between the legs
• Around the waist
• On the sclap

What to Do if you find a tick?  

1. Using fine-tipped tweezers, grab the tick close to the skin.  Do not twist or jerk the tick, as this may cause the mouthparts to break off and remain in the skin.
2. With a steady motion, gently pull straight up until all parts of the tick are removed.
3. After removing the tick, clean you skin with soap and warm water. 
4. Contact a healthcare provider if you develop symptoms of tick-borne disease such as skin rash, tiredness, fever/chills, headache, stiff neck, muscle aches, joint pain, dizziness

Do not use petroleum jelly, hot matches, nail polish remover, or other products to remove a tick. 

For more information:     https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/vectorborne.shtml

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/documents/faq/lyme_faq.pdf

Tick-Borne Diseases

Attendance- School nurses improve attendance through health promotion,disease prevention and disease management. Students with a full-time schoolnurse have about half the student illness- or injury- related early releasesfrom school where no school nurse is present.

Academics- Improvedattendance means the healthy student is in the classroom and ready to learn. School nurses enable better performance, which also contributesto reducing drop-out rates.

Time- School nursessave time for principals, teachers and staff. A school nurse in thebuilding saves principals (almost an hour a day), teachers (almost 20 minutes aday), and clerical staff (over 45 minutes a day) a considerable amount of timethat they would have spent addressing health concerns of students.

Staff Wellness- School nurses improve the general health of staff. According toschool reports, principals, teachers, and clerical staff are VERY satisfied with having schoolnurses in their schools for several reasons:

                ~Teachers can focus on teaching

                ~Office staff spend less time calling parents and sending students home

                ~Healthy staff means increased attendance and productivity

Accountability- School nurses help schools stay accountable:

                ~Promoting compliance with federal and state law mitigates lawsuits

                ~Advocating for adequate staffing aligns with Healthy People 2020

                ~Preparingfor emergencies saves lives and property

                ~Addressing student mental health links to academic achievement

It is ourpleasure to make sure your children are healthy and ready to learn in theGlassboro Public School District!