Health Department urges residents to be aware of ticks

HARRISON COUNTY – "It's not the tick we grew up with. There is no off-season for this Lyme disease-carrying insect, "warns Garen Rhome, health department administrator. "While the population of black-pegged ticks continues to move north-east across Ohio, it is opening up the potential for increased tick bites and an increased number of ticks. Lyme disease infections in Harrison County. "

In the fall, many people lose their vigilance against insects and parasites in the open air. After all, this is the time when mosquitoes disappear, flies disappear and most insects die or find a hot hole to hibernate and wait for the cold. But the deer's ticks are different. On the one hand, they are arachnids and not insects. And not only do they not hide in autumn or winter, but October is the month when deer ticks are the most active.

While the first freeze of the year attracts many tick species close to the ground to warm up, deer ticks seek out hosts every day when the temperature is above the freezing point. The deer tick has a delicate and specific life cycle of two years, as it develops during the stages of life and interacts with other animals. Unfortunately, this life cycle also ensures the continued proliferation of bacteria responsible for Lyme disease.

Currently, this year's new larvae feed on birds, rodents and other small mammals. It is these tiny animal hosts that the deer tick is first infected with Lyme disease. Meanwhile, infected adults in their second year of life are quite active and are looking for a host. These adults are actively looking for new hosts throughout the fall, waiting up to 3 feet above the ground on grbad or leaf branches for deer (their preferred host) or other deer. large mammals like humans, dogs, cats, animal horses. The peak activity for adult ticks occurs in late October and early November. "Adult ticks are what you are looking for at this time of year. Fortunately, they are easier to spot on your body than spring nymphs, which reduces the transmission of Lyme disease to humans in the fall. We see or smell the adult ticks and remove it quickly enough. However, it is especially important to check for pets, as adult ticks are always active and are looking for a host. Your dog or cat can easily get adult ticks to your home, "said Rhome.

In the spring, adult females lay eggs of a new generation and infected larvae last fall become tiny nymphs ready for another blood meal for deer, pets and humans. The cycle continues. "After a significant increase in the number of Lyme cases reported in 2017, we have seen a slowdown in 2018 here in Harrison County. We like to think that people in the county are more aware of the presence of blacklegged deer ticks and more knowledgeable about what to look for, resulting in fewer tick bites and tick-borne diseases like Lyme. " concluded Rhome. "These deer ticks are here to stay."