Tips to be tick-smart this summer as Lyme cases rise

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month. For those who plan on spending time outdoors, it’s important to be tick-smart.

According to the Ohio Department of Health- there’s been a significant increase in reported cases over the last decade.

Tick season is generally anywhere between May and October. However, experts say that due to global warming, it’s important that you be tick-aware all year long.

“I was doing the Appalachian Trail in Virginia and I was there one night and then I got up and I wasn’t careful. And when I got to the next encampment and checked, there it was,” said Jordan Murray, a Columbus resident.

Murray was one of the lucky ones. He’s been bit quite a few times, but caught it early enough. Now, he makes sure to pay attention.

“When I go home, I usually take a shower and that’s when I’ll check. From what I’ve heard, it’s important to get them in that first 24 hours because before then they’re basically climbing up and looking for a spot to settle in,” he said.

According to Dr. Myseika Roberts, the health commissioner at Columbus Public Health, people don’t usually notice the tick bite. Symptoms to look out for are fevers and body aches.

“It could be at a part of their body like their back, that they’re unable to see. But the symptoms can be just general malaise, maybe some low-grade fever, the rash, and some body aches and can mimic other diseases,” Roberts said.

According to the Ohio Department of Health website , the black-legged tick was first established in Ohio in 2010. Since then, Lyme Disease has drastically increased and caused significant disease among Ohioans.

In 2010, there were 13 reported cases across the state of Ohio; last year, that number jumped to 1,300.

“Most importantly in public health, we want to do our best to prevent it from happening in the first place,” Roberts said.

Locally in 2022, Franklin County had 38 cases; three years prior, it was 16 cases.

Roberts said she sees it impact our youth the most. Particularly boys under the age of 16.

“Those are youth that are outside playing, they could be running in the field, they could be doing sports where they could be exposed. And they’re probably not following some of the guidance about wearing long pants, long sleeves, tucking their pants into their socks,” she said.

Whenever you plan on spending time outdoors this summer, make sure your body is covered with as much clothing as possible.

“That means long pants with socks, maybe even tucking the pants into the socks, long-sleeved shirts also spraying their body and their clothing with DEEt insecticides,” Roberts said.

One thing to keep in mind, there’s a difference between a tick and a mosquito. We primarily see mosquitos at dusk and dawn, but ticks are all day long.

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