Central New York has plenty of beautiful outdoor attractions for all ages. But too often, the threats presented by these typically grassy and wooded areas are overlooked. As the weather gets warmer, it’s important to remember the dangers of ticks. Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses are no joke, but by taking proactive measures, you can reduce the threat of tick exposure.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that is spread through ticks. If bitten, you should keep an eye on the bite site for 30 days, watching for rashes — especially those in a bullseye pattern — fatigue, fever and chills. If you notice these symptoms, be sure to contact a doctor.
Out of the over 28,000 confirmed Lyme disease cases in the U.S. in 2015, more than 3,000 were in New York. Since 2000, 71,000 cases of Lyme disease have been reported in New York. Research in recent years has also revealed a spike of cases in a number of counties across the state, including those in Central New York.
At home, community members should remember to keep lawns mowed and excess shrubbery to a minimum. Lawns make for perfect homes for deer ticks in the warmer seasons. When sending children out to play, doing outdoor chores or working on home improvement projects outside, make sure to avoid heavily wooded areas and those that are shady, moist and low to the ground. Also consider using EPA-registered insect repellents and pet boosters. For those of us venturing onto trails and into fields, I encourage everyone to remember to wear light colors and long pants to better detect ticks on the body. Tucking your cuffs into socks and your shirt into your pants can also help prevent ticks from crawling onto the skin.
Once inside, please check yourself, family members and pets for crawling or attached ticks. If you do notice a tick, make sure to use fine-tipped tweezers or a designated deer tick tool to remove it from the skin with an upward motion. Never burn or twist the tick as it may become only partially dislodged, and clean the bite site and your hands with rubbing alcohol and anti-bacterial cream. While not 100 percent effective, these measures will minimize the dangers of tick-borne illnesses.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns about this or any other community issue, please don’t hesitate to contact me at (315) 452-1115 or at [email protected].
