Lyme Disease

Lyme Disease

Camp Tel Yehudah is located in an area of the country that has a dense population of ticks, including the deer tick.  It is the deer tick that is responsible for the transmission of Lyme disease.  These ticks are often found in woody and overgrown brush areas.  While we take special care to limit the potential of attracting deer ticks we cannot guarantee they will not be in our area. 

Parents and campers can take preventive measures to lower the possibility of exposure to infected ticks.  According to the Center for Disease Control, these include wearing light colored clothing so ticks may be seen more easily, tucking pants into socks or shoes and applying an insect repellent containing DEET to both clothes and exposed skin.  Daily tick checks by the camper are also recommended.  The camper can do these at night while the camper is getting ready for bed.  If a tick is noticed and removed within a 24-36 hour period the likelihood of getting Lyme disease is significantly decreased.  The Health Center is knowledgeable in matters related to ticks, including proper tick removal and post exposure treatment. 

For more information on Lyme disease please consult the following link from the Center for Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme