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Prevent Tickborne Illnesses While Enjoying the Outdoors
With warmer weather and longer days, many of us may be spending more time outside lately, which is a wonderful way to get fresh air, soak up vitamin D, and improve mental health.
However, with increased time outdoors comes potential increased exposure to ticks, which can lead to Lyme and other tickborne diseases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 476,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme disease in the United States every year.
Primarily transmitted by Ixodes ticks, also known as deer ticks or blacklegged ticks, Lyme disease can affect people of all ages, but here are a few simple tips for mitigating your chances of being infected:
- Treat clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% of the insecticide permethrin.
- Avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter where ticks are more likely to live. Always walk in the center of trails.
- Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents.
- Inspect your clothes, gear, and pets as soon as you're indoors and shower soon after being outside.
This National Lyme Disease Awareness Month, continue your deep dive into tick bite prevention with more information from the CDC. Remember, if a tick bites you and you seek medical help, you may be eligible for benefits under the NCFlex Accident Plan and the Cancer Plan.
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