It’s warming up in Alexander County, and with warm weather come mosquitoes and ticks.
These pesky critters are not just annoying. They can carry germs that cause illnesses. In a few cases, they can even cause death.
Last year, North Carolina reported more than 450 cases of tick-borne diseases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cases included a high incidence of Rocky Mountain spotted fever as well as cases of Lyme disease and ehrlichiosis – all diseases transmitted through the bite of an infected tick. Mosquitoes can transmit diseases like La Crosse encephalitis, Eastern equine encephalitis, and West Nile encephalitis. Many mosquito- and tick-borne illnesses also can affect horses and pets.
This May, Alexander County Health Department will partner with North Carolina’s divisions of Public Health and Environmental Health, to promote Tick and Mosquito Awareness Month. A few simple steps can help people keep these pests at bay, protecting you from illness.
Spring is the time to take action to prevent mosquitoes and ticks from breeding in your backyard. Checking your backyard now for any containers that hold water and removing or emptying them will help reduce the number of mosquito breeding sites. To reduce the number of ticks, examine your backyard landscaping with an eye toward reducing deep shade, leaf litter and plants that would attract deer or provide habitat for rodents.
It is also important to protect yourself and your family when you are outside enjoying North Carolina’s warm weather. Prevent bites by wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks and by using repellents. Check yourself and your family often for ticks when you are in tick-prone areas.
Use insect repellants on your exposed skin. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend several repellents against mosquitoes such as DEET, picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus. Repellents containing permethrin provide excellent protection against ticks but are only used on clothing. Consumers should look for products that contain the CDC-recommended ingredients, and should read and follow all label instructions.
For additional information on mosquitoes and ticks, visit the following websites: http://www.deh.enr.state.nc.us/phpm, http://www.epi.state.nc.us/epi/arbovirus and http://www.epi.state.nc.us/epi/tick.
