SUMMER HAZARDS Bites and stings and things beyond… Prepared by Marilyn Rausch Indiana FCRV DAT...

SUMMER HAZARDS

Bites and stings and things beyond…

Prepared by Marilyn Rausch Indiana FCRV DAT Program 2007

Bites• Spider Bites

• Stings

• Tick Bites

• SnakesIndiana FCRV DAT Program 2007

Spider bitesDangerous spiders include:1. Black widow (red hourglass)2. Brown Recluse (violin on

abdomen)3. Scorpion (not in Indiana)

Indiana FCRV DAT Program 2007

SPIDER BITES

Most spiders

are harmless


Treating a non-poisonous spider bite

• Wash the area with Soap and water three times daily.

• Apply an antibiotic ointment.

• Apply cool compresses.

• Use Tylenol for pain.Indiana FCRV DAT Program 2007

Treating a non-poisonous spider bite

1. If you haven’t had a tetanus shot in 10 years (it is a puncture wound.)

2. If it drains pus, becomes extremely painful, or Becomes hot, swollen and red.

When to see a doctor…


Poisonous spiders

• Black Widow


Black Widow• Most venomous spider in the United

States.

• Inhabit most of the warmer regions of the world.

• Bites are not usually deadly because they inject only small amount of toxin.

• The female black widow is generally the only gender that bites.


Black Widow

• Spider is identified by the red hourglass on its underbelly.

• Female usually remains in her web and only bites when disturbed.


Black Widow

• The venom is 15 times as toxic as the venom of the Prairie Rattlesnake, but is rarely fatal because of the small amount injected.

• The bite is painless initially, but can result in significant symptoms later.


Toxin can cause• abdominal pain similar to appendicitis

• pain to the muscles or soles of the feet

• alternating salivation and dry-mouth

• paralysis of the diaphragm

• profuse sweating

• swollen eyelids.

Black Widow (red hourglass)

HEALTHY PEOPLE USUALLY RECOVER IN 3-5 DAYS.

PERSONS WITH HEART OR OTHER HEALTH CONDITIONS MAY HAVE MORE SEVERE PROBLEMS.Indiana FCRV DAT Program 2007

First aid• Apply ice pack over bite area.• Keep limb elevated to heart level.• If possible, collect the spider into a jar or

plastic bag, even if it is crushed.• Call Poison Control Center:

1-800-222-1222

Black Widow (red hourglass)


Brown Recluse

• Identified by long, thin legs and a distinct violin shaped mark on the back.Indiana FCRV DAT Program 2007

• Found in firewood piles, leaves, indoors in dark closets, shoes, cluttered basements or attics. (They prefer dark, undisturbed places)

• They are scavengers… prefer dead prey to live.

• Spider is non-aggressive… bites only when disturbed.

Brown Recluse


Preventing bites

• Recluses are nocturnal and are inactive during the day.

• They take temporary refuge in clothing or bedding, items left on the floor, in closets and under beds.

Brown Recluse


• Vacuum behind furniture and stored items, around baseboards and in closets.

• Do not store shoes, clothing or bedding at ground level. Avoid bed skirts that touch the floor.

• Do not store items under beds.• Check articles brought indoors from storage

sheds to assure there are no spiders or eggs attached.

Preventing bites

Brown Recluse


• Repair torn screens and broken windows, and make sure doors shut tightly without gaps.

• Before using, thoroughly shake out shoes, supplies, clothing, toys, etc. that have been on the floor.

Preventing bites

Brown Recluse


• Venom destroys tissue cells.• Bite may cause a sharp sting or no pain.• Pain develops within first 2-8 hours, may be

severe.• General feelings of discomfort, malaise or

nausea.• Severe iching may occur.

Symptoms

Brown Recluse


• In severe cases, may develop sloughing of the skin, formation of a blister that ulcerates, taking up to 6 weeks to heal.

• A red to purple “bullseye” pattern may develop that leaves deep, raw areas through the skin.

• Chills and fever may occur

Symptoms

Brown Recluse


• Blood in the urine.• Jaundice.• Kidney Failure.• Seizures.• Coma.

In rare cases persons may experience

Brown Recluse


Brown Recluse

Fatalities most often occur in children.

Survival past 48 hours usually indicates that recovery will occur.


• Apply ice to bite area.• Keep area at the level of the heart.• Save the spider if possible for

identification.• Get immediate medical attention.• Call Poison Emergency number

1-800-222-1222

First Aid

Brown Recluse


Scorpion


STINGS• Bees

• Wasps

• Hornets

• Yellow Jackets


Bee Stings

• Bees leave behind a stinger attached to a venom sac.

• Try to remove it as quickly as possible.• Gently scrape it out with a blunt-edged

object, such as a credit card or a dull knife.• Do not squeeze the area to try to remove the

stinger, as that will dispense the venom from the sac!


First Aid for All Stings

• Wash the area carefully with soap and water 2-3 times a day until skin is healed.

• Apply a cold pack to area for a few minutes.

• Give acetaminophen for pain.


First Aid for All Stings

• Give OTC antihistamine for pain and itching.

• Use Corticosteroid cream or calamine lotion to the sting area. Mud or toothpaste also work when these items are not available!


Emergency• A sting anywhere inside the mouth.• Wheezing or difficulty breathing.• Tightness in the throat or chest.• Swelling in the lips.• Dizziness or fainting.• Nausea or vomiting.

Seek medical care immediately!Indiana FCRV DAT Program 2007

Seek medical care if you develop

• large skin rash

• Large area of swelling around the sting site.

• Swelling lasts more that 72 hours.


If you have had a severe reaction to a sting

• Carry with you a “bee sting kit,” containing a self-injection of epinephrine and antihistamine tablets.

• Pre-read the instructions on the kit so you know what to do in an emergency!


Avoid getting stung!!• Do not wear perfumes, scented

lotions or hair spray.

• Use insect repellants containing DEET (no more than 10%-30%).

• Use citronella-based products to repel insects.


TICKS


TICKS• Ticks are part of the same group as

are spiders…arachnids.

• There are two kinds of ticks– Hard ticks (common dog or deer ticks)– Soft ticks (feed on birds or bats)


TICKS• Ticks cannot fly or jump. They must

crawl or be carried.• Ticks wait at the tips of grasses and

shrubs, not in trees.• When a potential meal brushes against

the grass, the tick lets go of the vegetation onto the host.

• They then crawl from the lower to the upper parts of the body.


TICKSDog (or Wood) Tick

(3/16 inches long unfed)

• Adult tick feeds on humans and medium-to-large mammals such as raccoons and dogs.

• Most active in April, May, June

• Can transmit to humans– Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever– Tularemia– Ehrlichiosis

MAIN CONCERN: DISEASES


TICKSDeer (or Blacklegged) Tick

(1/8 inch long unfed)• All three stages feed on variety of

hosts, including people

• Active early spring through fall

• Can transmit to humans– Lyme disease– Ehrlichiosis

MAIN CONCERN: DISEASES


TICKS

After a tick bite, contact a doctor if

• You develop a rash that looks like a “bulls-eye.”

• A rash anywhere on the body.

• An unexplained illness that is accompanied by fever.


Symptoms of Lyme Disease

• A skin rash, often resembling a bulls-eye.

• Fever.

• Headache.

• Muscle pain.

• Stiff neck.

• Swelling of knees and other large joints.

First Stage: days to weeks after bite.



• Numbness and pain in arms or legs• Paralysis of facial muscles (sometimes

only on one side of face.)• Meningitis—fever, stiff neck, severe

headaches.• Abnormal heart beat (rare)

Second stage: weeks to months after bite.



• Chronic Lyme Arthritis• Nervous system problems

–Memory Loss–Difficulty concentrating

• Chronic pain in muscles• Lack of restful sleep

Third stage: late (chronic) disease


Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever


Symptoms of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

• Symptoms begin 3-12 days after the bite.• Sudden fever lasting 2-3 weeks• Severe headache• Fatigue• Deep muscle pain• Chills • Nausea• Characteristic rash, including the palms and

soles.Indiana FCRV DAT Program 2007

PREVENT TICK BORNE DISEASEAVOIDANCE

• Stay out of woodlands and brush areas where the ticks live.

• Use tick repellants that contain DEET (10-30%) on body and clothing.

• Dress in long sleeves and pants. Tuck pant legs into socks.


PREVENT TICK BORNE DISEASE

AVOIDANCE• Check your entire body for ticks

after you have been in tick-infested areas.

• Remove any attached ticks as soon as possible.



To remove an attached tick:• Use fine tweezers to grab

the tick firmly by the head or as close to the head as possible. Pull firmly.

• Do not use petroleum jelly or a hot match to make the tick “back out on its own.



• Keep grass mowed and weeds cut.

• Clean up rodent-attracting areas (spilled birdseed, old wood piles).

• If ticks are present in vegetation around the edge of the property or in weeds that cannot be removed, spray with tick-control insecticides once or twice in the season.


SNAKE BITES


SNAKE BITESThere are only 4 poisonous snakes

known to live in Indiana.• Timber Rattlesnake (mid southern

Indiana.)• Northern Copperhead (Southern to

central Indiana).• Massasauga Rattlesnake (Northern

Indiana.• Cottonmouth (water moccasan)

(unlikely to truly live here!)Indiana FCRV DAT Program 2007

SNAKE BITES

THE REST OF THE SNAKES THAT YOU

MIGHT SEE IN INDIANA ARE NOT VENOMOUS!

It’s still a good idea to avoid them!!!Indiana FCRV DAT Program 2007

SNAKE BITES

• All snakes will bite when threatened or surprised.

• Most snakes only bite as a last resort, and avoid encounters.


SNAKE BITES

• Leave snakes alone. If you see a snake, give it at least a six-foot berth.

• When hiking, remain on hiking paths. Stay out of tall grass unless you are wearing heavy leather boots.

• Keep hands and feet out of areas you can’t see.

• Remember that a snake can strike half its length!


First aid forSNAKE BITES

• Keep victim calm.• Restrict movement. Apply a loose splint.• Keep affected area BELOW heart level.• Remove any rings or constricting items.• If you have a pump suction device, follow the

manufacturer’s directions.• If signs of shock occur, lay victim flat, raise feet

about a foot, and keep warm.

• GET MEDICAL HELP IMMEDIATELY.


First aid forSNAKE BITES

DO NOT• Allow the person to become over-exerted.• Apply a tourniquet• Apply cold compresses to a snake bite.• Cut into a snake bite with a knife or razor.• Try to suction the venom by mouth.• Give the person stimulants or pain meds.• Give the person anything by mouth.• Raise the site of the bite over the level of the

heart Indiana FCRV DAT Program 2007

SUMMER HAZARDS Bites and stings and things beyond… Prepared by Marilyn Rausch Indiana FCRV DAT...

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