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03/27/15 LICKING COUNTY, OHIO – It’s tick season, and although it is important to take preventive measures against ticks year-round, Licking County residents should be extra vigilant in warmer months when ticks are most active. The Licking County Health Department reminds residents to protect themselves and their families from ticks this April through September.
“Protecting yourself and your family against ticks is an easy way to keep you and your family from getting really sick,” said Chad Brown, Licking County Health Department Director of Environmental Health. “Be sure to use the correct repellents and avoid areas with heavy brush and high grasses. Don’t forget to check your pets as well.”
During warmer months, people should avoid wooded and bushy areas with high grass and leaves where ticks live, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Walking in the center of trails where ticks are less likely to be is helpful. Use repellents that contain 20 to 30 percent DEET on exposed skin and clothing for several hours of protection. When using DEET, always follow product label instructions. Parents should apply this product to their children, avoiding hands, eyes, and mouth.
Also, use products that contain permethrin on clothing, according to the CDC. Treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks and tents with products containing 0.5 percent permethrin. It remains protective through several washings. Pre-treated clothing is available and may be protective longer.
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How do you prevent ticks from biting? Take action against them with these quick tips:
- Shower after coming indoors to wash off and more easily find ticks that might be on you.
- Conduct a full-body tick check using a mirror to view all parts of your body upon return from tick-infested areas. Parents should check their children for ticks under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, and especially in their hair. Ticks like warm areas of the body.
- Examine gear and pets. Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine pets, coats and backpacks.
- Tumble clothes in a dryer on high heat for an hour to kill remaining ticks.
Ticks can cause health concerns. They are known to cause Lyme disease, southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI), Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), ehrlichiosis, and tularemia. Tickborne illnesses usually have an onset of fever and chills, aches and pains, and rashes.
“Tickborne diseases can result in mild symptoms treatable at home to severe infections requiring hospitalization,” according to the CDC. “Although easily treated with antibiotics, these diseases can be difficult for physicians to diagnose.”
If you have questions or concerns about ticks and tickborne illness, contact the Licking County Health Department at (740) 349-6535, or visit the CDC website http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/.
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“The Licking County Health Department serves more than 160,000 citizens in the Licking County General Health District by preventing disease, protecting the environment and promoting healthy lifestyles with a vision of healthy people living in healthy communities.”
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