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Arm yourself with knowledge before you head into your yard or other tick habitat this summer Date published: 6/29/2009
BY KIM BAER It was meant to be a sweet walk in the woods to celebrate our ninth anniversary. And it was sweet. We walked on a path near the Potomac River on that day in late May. We held hands. We talked. We then walked back to the car, headed to another sweet destination: Westmoreland Berry Farm. About five minutes into the drive, my husband spied something crawling up his leg. Something fast-moving, tiny and brown with itty-bitty icky legs. Oh yes. A tick. He yanked it off and threw it out the window. Then he saw another one. And another. And another. My husband pulled the car off to the side of the road. He pulled a few more ticks off. I stood immobilized. And quite creeped out. After giving each other the best body scans we could on the side of the road, we declared ourselves tick-free. We re-entered the car rather cautiously, scanning the seats and floors. On the way to the berry farm, we found a couple more crawling in the car and threw them out the window. At the berry farm (after we'd both gone to the rest-room for another round of tick checks), we ate strawberry sundaes and congratulated ourselves on surviving the Great Tick Invasion of 2009. We later learned, of course, that there was a lot we could have done to prevent it. Prevention is important, of course, because ticks can carry diseases such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. One of our mistakes was parking our car in an area with tall grass. Tall grass is a prime spot for ticks, said Jorge Arias, environmental health supervisor for the Fairfax County department of health and an expert on disease-carrying insects. We wore shorts and T-shirts for our hike. Arias recommends that those hiking in the woods during tick season (late spring through the summer) wear long sleeves and pants, and tuck the legs of pants into socks. We also didn't wear any insect repellent. Arias recommends wearing a repellent with DEET. Those who spend any time outside during tick season should check themselves all over for ticks every day, Arias said. He also recommended spraying clothing with permethrin, an insecticide that kills ticks on contact. Spray the clothing before you put it on, he said. For more information, check out the Virginia Department of Health's bro-chure on ticks. The brochure can be found online by going to the department's Web site, vdh.virginia.gov, and clicking on "tick and mosquito-borne diseases." The brochure reviews bite prevention measures and symptoms of tick-borne diseases. My husband and I haven't taken another hike since the Anniversary Invasion, but I'm sure we will. I'm also sure we'll be better prepared. Kim Baer: 540/834-0656
Date published: 6/29/2009
transmit Lymes Disease. If a bullseye rash occurs, get to a doctor immediately. Broad spectrum antibiotic caps are the usual remedy, but quick treatment is key. If you spend a lot of time afield, you might be able to talk your Doc into giving you some caps to keep on hand. The larger ticks can transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted and Rabbit Fever. Every year there seems to be more ticks of both varieties.
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