PARSONS – James Snyder, executive director of the Tucker County Health Department, said with warmer weather, caution is needed regarding ticks, mosquitos and rabies. Snyder said the message he wants to share is prevention.
“It’s that time of year when people are outside and ticks and mosquitos are more prevalent,” Snyder said. “Any warm-blooded animal can carry rabies and in West Virginia, we see the majority of rabies cases are in racoons and skunks.”
Snyder said the best way to keep safe from rabies is to stay away from wild animals.
“They may look cute and cuddly but stay away from them,” he said. “Do not handle them and do not feed wild animals. They are best observed from a distance.”
Snyder said the second-best practice to observe regarding rabies is to keep pets up to date on their rabies vaccinations.
Snyder said the big concern with mosquitos is all the viruses they keep such as Zika, West Nile Disease and La Crosse encephalitis.
“The mosquitos in West Virginia that carry West Nile Disease and La Crosse encephalitis like to breed in small pockets of water like tires, small children’ wading pools, five gallon buckets and any other containers of small, still water,” Snyder said. “That is where they like to lay their eggs. We tell people if they have buckets to turn them upside down. Make sure to keep a little chlorine in small wading pools to keep mosquitos out, and get rid of old tires so water doesn’t stand in them.”
He said mosquitos are out early in the morning and late in the evening.
“Wear protective clothing like long sleeves, pants and socks,” Snyder said. “We also recommend using an insect repellant – something that contains DEET or picaridin. Make sure to use sparingly on children and be sure to follow the directions on the product container.”
Finally – ticks. With the mild winter weather, there are more ticks this year than ever. Snyder said the prevalence of ticks has been on the rise for the last few years.
“In 2016, West Virginia recorded 368 Lyme Disease cases – the most reported ever,” Snyder said. “In 2016, there were 43 counties that reported at least one case of Lyme Disease.”
Snyder said tick bites can cause Lyme Disease or Rocky Mountain Spotted Disease. He said avoiding tick bites is essential because folks enjoy hiking, biking, horseback riding and many other recreational sports, and children love playing outside in the sunny weather.
“We need to be aware of where ticks are such as high grass areas and places with brushy areas,” Snyder said. “Those hiking need to stay on the trail. It’s not a good idea to sit in grassy areas. Make sure pets are treated with a tick repellant.”
He said products with DEET repel ticks and said it is a good idea to wear light colored clothing so ticks are easier to spot.
“When you come in from enjoying the outdoors, take a shower within two hours and inspect for ticks,” Snyder said. “Some of the most worrisome ticks are just the size of a poppy seed.”
Snyder said if bitten by a tick to check with your physician especially if the bite looks nasty, has a rash or if there is a bull’s eye mark around the bite. “When in doubt, call your physician,” Snyder said.
Additional information is available on their website at www.tuckerhealthwv.com.
