How can you protect yourself and your loved ones from tick bites this summer when infection rates are on the rise in the DMV?
WTOP’s Linh Bui explains how to protect yourself and your loved ones from tick bites this season.
You can find them in tall grass, dead leaves, bushes and woods. Ticks exist and can be harmful to your health.
To avoid exposure and tick bites, use EPA-approved insect repellent, wear long pants and sleeves, stay on marked trails while hiking, and check yourself, children, and pets for ticks companionship after being outside.
Taking a shower immediately after returning from a long hike or spending long periods of time outdoors is also a good idea.
You can also throw your clothes in the dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks.
“We want Marylanders to explore the beautiful nature of our great state,” said Maryland Department of Health Secretary Dr. Laura Herrera Scott. “But we want them to protect their health and be aware of ticks and the diseases they spread.”
The CDC reports that Maryland, Virginia and D.C. have high infection rates for Lyme disease, which humans typically contract through a tick bite.
May is Tick-Borne Disease Awareness Month in Maryland and the state health department will be sharing safety tips on social media each week.
In 2022, more than 2,000 cases have been reported in Maryland. The state health department says that while Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in Maryland, “ticks can also transmit babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, fever Rocky Mountain Purple Spot and Tularemia.”
Lyme disease is the most commonly reported tick-borne illness.
Symptoms include a rash that may look like a target, fever, and headache.
If left untreated, the disease can spread to the joints and nervous system.
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