|
It is
unreasonable to assume that a person can completely eliminate
activities that may result in tick exposure. Therefore, prevention
measures should be aimed at personal protection: |
|
TICK REMOVAL
 |
Wear light-colored clothing -- this will allow you to
see ticks that are crawling on your clothing.
|
|
Tuck your pants legs into your socks so that ticks
cannot crawl up the inside of your pants legs. |
|
Apply repellants to discourage tick attachment.
Repellents containing permethrin can be sprayed on boots and
clothing, and will last for several days. Repellents containing DEET
(n, n-diethyl-m-toluamide) can be applied to the
skin, but will last only a few hours before reapplication is
necessary. Use DEET with caution on children because adverse
reactions have been reported.
|
|
Conduct a body check upon return from potentially
tick-infested areas by searching your entire body for ticks. Use a
hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body.
Remove any tick you find on your body. |
To
remove attached ticks, use the following procedure:
1. Use
fine-tipped tweezers or shield your fingers with a tissue, paper
towel, or rubber gloves.
2. Grasp the
tick as close to the skin surface as possible and pull upward with
steady, even pressure. Do not twist or jerk the tick; this may cause
the mouthparts to break off and remain in the skin. (If this
happens, remove mouthparts with tweezers. Consult your healthcare
provider if infection occurs.)
Figure 19. Tick removal
|
|
|
3. Do not
squeeze, crush, or puncture the body of the tick because its fluids
(saliva, hemolymph, gut contents) may contain infectious organisms.
4. Do not handle
the tick with bare hands because infectious agents may enter through
mucous membranes or breaks in the skin. This precaution is
particularly directed to individuals who remove ticks from domestic
animals with unprotected fingers. Children, elderly persons, and
immunocompromised persons may be at greater risk of infection and
should avoid this procedure.
5. After
removing the tick, thoroughly disinfect the bite site and wash your
hands with soap and water.
6. You may wish
to save the tick for identification in case you become ill within 2 to
3 weeks. Your doctor can use the information to assist in making an
accurate diagnosis. Place the tick in a plastic bag and put it in your
freezer. Write the date of the bite on a piece of paper with a pencil
and place it in the bag.
Note:
Folklore remedies such as petroleum jelly or hot matches do little to
encourage a tick to detach from skin. In fact, they may make matters
worse by irritating the tick and stimulating it to release additional
saliva, increasing the chances of transmitting the pathogen. These
methods of tick removal should be avoided. In addition, a number of
tick removal devices have been marketed, but none are better than a
plain set of fine tipped tweezers.
From The Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Club Benefits:
The Trading
Post, located in Hiawassee, offers a 10% discount on all merchandise to club
members. The store stocks men’s casual clothing, including wicking shirts and
hiking shorts, jean, boots, and other casual attire. Women can also wear some
of the clothing.
Appalachian Outfitters,
in
downtown Murphy, offers a 15% discount to club members on all merchandise. The
store carries clothing and equipment for a variety of sports. Their website
is:
www.appalachianoutfitters@verizon.net.
Mountain Crossings at Walasi Yi,
on Hwy 129 south of
Blairsville, provides a 10% discount for cash or check sales and a 7% discount
for credit sales to all club members. Sports-related clothing and equipment,
books, hiking supplies, and craft items are available.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
FIRES CREEK THREATENED BY DEVELOPMENT
John Ray provided an excellent description of the 50-acre
tract of land that is land-locked in the Fires Creek Basin and was sold
several times since February of this year. While the property was not
sold originally until February 13, Gordon Ottinger discovered that the
property was surveyed on January 12 and named Laurel Creek Subdivision
at that time. The current property owners have petitioned the Forest
Service for a road up to their property. This road could use the
Phillips Ridge Trail, which was upgraded as a Forest Service road
recently to within a few tenths of a mile from the property line.
The area of the in-holding is
situated in a bear sanctuary and the Fires Creek Basin. The headwaters
of Laurel Creek are in the middle of the land. The 26-mile Wilderness
Rim Trail goes through this property. Several trout streams, including
Fires Creek, would be adversely impacted with silt from any road work or
construction. The increased construction of homes near the boundaries of
Fires Creek Park continue to threaten the wildlife in this area and
construction on this 50-acre tract of land will diminish their natural
habitat. The environmental damage of building the road and houses in
this steep terrain will be tremendous.
The land owners must pay for
an environment assessment, then, we and other interested parties will be
given the opportunity to provide input. A recommendation is made by
Tusquittee District Ranger Joe Bonnette, with the ultimate decision made
by Forest Supervisor Marisue Hilliard. We are given the opportunity for
input. We are all distressed about this recent attack to our
beloved Forest Service land.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
GEORGIA MOUNTAIN RESEARCH AND EDUCATION CENTER
The
Georgia Mountain Research and Education Center is a wonderfully rich
resource for the North Georgia area. Adult Outreach Educational
Seminars, scheduled through the year, are sponsored by the Community
Council which was founded in 2003.
Upcoming events
in 2008:
The Georgia Mountain Research and
Education Center has a website:
www.caes.uga.edu/center/gmrec/commcouncil/adult.html . You may view the center’s calendar of events and register for outreach seminars
via the website.
These
are FREE Informational Seminars for all interested parties. However,
seating is limited to the first 100 registrations. Call 706-745-2655 or
email to
register.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
HIKING IN THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS
Recommended Reading Sources & Web Sites
Our Southern Highlanders
by Horace Kephart
Strangers in High Places
by Michael Frome
The Cades Cove Story
by Randolph Shields, Great Smokies National History
Association
Lost by
Dwight McCarter, Ronald Schmidt, Graphicom Press
Place Names of the Smokies
by Allan R. Coggins
Great Smoky
Mountains Association:
www.nps.gov/grsm/nhahome.htm
115 Park Headquarters Rd., Gatlinburg, TN 37738, Phone:
888-898-9102
