COLUMBUS, Ohio - If you take a stroll through the woods in central Ohio, there's something you might not see that is becoming very concerning this year.
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) says Ohio is going through a very active tick season right now. One of their biggest concerns is the black-legged tick.
Entomologist Richard Gary says the black-legged tick made its way into Ohio back in 2008 and the numbers have increased ever since. Gary says this particular tick carries Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
"It can cause severe chronic illness and it can definitely be deadly," Gary said.
Over the past four years, Lyme disease cases in Ohio have increased from 154 in 2015 to 293 cases in 2018. The number of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever cases tripled over the past four years, going from 12 cases in 2015 to 37 in 2018.
May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month and ODH is fearful that the number of tick-borne diseases will continue to rise. Ohio doesn't have a tick eradication program in place, so there's a good possibility tick-borne disease will increase in Ohio for years to come.
The Ohio Department of Health is encouraging people to constantly check themselves and their pets for ticks.
Tips to avoid tick bites
(Via Ohio Department of Health)
- Walk in the middle of trails. Avoid tall grass, brush and leaf litter.
- Use EPA-registered repellents labelled for use against ticks on skin. Always follow the label instructions. EPA-registered repellents are safe and effective, even for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
- Treat clothing and gear such as pants, boots, socks and tents with a product containing permethrin, or buy permethrin-treated clothing and gear. Do not apply permethrin directly to skin.
- Wear long pants, long sleeves and long socks. Tuck pant legs into socks.
- Wear light colors to make it easier to see ticks.
Tips for safely removing ticks:
- Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin's surface as possible.
- Pull it away from your skin with steady, even pressure.
- Do not twist or jerk the tick which can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth-parts easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
- Do not use petroleum jelly, a hot match, nail polish or any other “folk” remedies to remove a tick as these methods do not work.
- Dispose of a live tick by putting it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag/container, wrapping it tightly in tape or flushing it down the toilet. Never crush a tick with your fingers.
- Wash your hands and the bite area with soap and water.