More Ticks, Longer Season: Tips For Avoiding Disease

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — As you spend time outside this summer, be sure to protect yourself from tick bites.

"A bite from an infected deer tick can cause Lyme Disease and other tick-borne diseases. With the number of ticks continuing to rise this summer due to increasing temperatures and a longer season, it's more important than ever for residents to follow these five simple steps to protect yourself and your family," said County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert.

Not only has the number of ticks risen, and the dangerous season lengthened, but also a new kind of tick that can carry disease has surfaced in the Hudson Valley. (For more local health stories like this, sign up for Patch’s daily newsletter, news alerts and updates.)

Earlier this week, the New York State Departments of Health and Agriculture & Markets confirmed the presence of the longhorned tick, whose scientific name is Haemaphysalis longicornis tick, in Westchester County.

The tick is native to Australia, New Zealand and eastern Asian, but has been found recently in New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas and now New York. The longhorned tick has transmitted disease to humans in other parts of the world, and scientists want to do more research to determine whether this can happen in the United States.

Whether it's the newcomer or the ticks we've been living with for years, there is one common set of tips for protecting yourself and your family:

1. Check your skin for ticks daily. When outside, check your skin and clothing for ticks. Check often when in grassy or wooded areas. Brush any ticks off before they attach. Do a full check of your skin when you go back inside. It's easy to check when you bathe or shower. Be sure to check for ticks on your children and pets too!
2. Remove ticks quickly and safely. Remove any attached ticks using this safe method: Using fine tipped tweezers, grasp the tick near the mouth parts as close to the skin as possible. Do not twist, turn, or squeeze the tick's body. Instead, pull the tick in a steady, upward motion away from the skin until the tick lets go. To lessen your chance of infection, remove an attached tick as soon as possible. For tick identification, call the Cornell Cooperative Extension Horticultural Lab at 845-429-7085.
3. Dress in clothes that protect. Wear light colored clothing, such as white or pastels. Wear a long- sleeved shirt, long pants, socks and shoes. Tuck your shirt into your pants and pant-legs into your socks. Wear sneakers or boots, not sandals. Tie back long hair or wear a hat.
4. Consider the use of an insect repellent. Carefully read and follow the directions on the repellent label. Some products should be used only on clothing, never on the skin. Talk to your pediatrician about using repellents on your children. Never let children put repellents on themselves.
5. Learn the symptoms of Lyme disease: After a tick bite, watch for symptoms for at least 30 days. Symptoms can include tiredness, headache, neck stiffness, slight fever, swollen glands, and pain or stiffness of muscles or joints. Some people will get a pink-red rash that gets bigger, called a "bulls-eye" rash. If you have any of these symptoms or are feeling ill, see your doctor.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 300,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme disease in the US every year, but only about 35,000 diagnoses are reported.

SEE: New Type Of Tick Found In Westchester

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