Protect yourself from mosquito and tick bites
To watch this video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkVzDP0C0Y4
With the start of summer, the Rhode Island Department of
Environmental Management (DEM) and the Rhode Island Department of Health
(RIDOH) are urging residents to guard against mosquito and tick bites when
enjoying the outdoors.
In May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
issued a report stating that the number of cases of diseases that are
transmitted by ticks, mosquitoes, and other insects more than tripled
nationally between 2004 and 2016 (27,388 cases in 2004, versus 96,075 in 2016).
Personal protection is the first line of defense against
mosquitoes that may carry West Nile Virus (WNV), Eastern Equine Encephalitis
(EEE), or other diseases – and the most effective way to avoid infection.
With WNV and EEE established throughout the state, DEM and RIDOH
remind the public to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds and prevent being
bitten, whenever possible. The following precautions are advised:
• Remove anything around your house and yard that collects
water; just one cup of water can produce hundreds of mosquitoes.
• Clean gutters and downspouts to ensure proper drainage, and
repair holes in window screens.
• Remove any water from unused swimming pools, wading pools,
boats, planters, trash and recycling bins, tires, and anything else that
collects water, and cover them.
• Change the water in birdbaths at least two times a week, and
rinse out birdbaths once a week.
• Use EPA-approved bug spray with one of the following active
ingredients: DEET (20-30% strength), picaridin, IR3535, and oil of lemon
eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol.
• Minimize outdoor activity at dawn and at dusk when mosquitoes
are most active.
• Put insect netting over strollers and playpens.
• Wear long sleeves and long pants whenever possible,
particularly if you are outdoors during dawn and dusk.
Horses are particularly susceptible to WNV and EEE. Horse owners
are advised to vaccinate their animals early in the season and practice the
following:
• Remove or cover areas where standing water can collect.
• Avoid putting animals outside at dawn, dusk, or during the
night when mosquitoes are most active.
• Insect-proof facilities where possible and use approved
repellants frequently.
• Monitor animals for symptoms of fever and/or neurological
signs (such as stumbling, moodiness, loss of appetite) and report all
suspicious cases to a veterinarian immediately. If you are unsure if your horse
is properly vaccinated you should consult with your veterinarian.
Visit health.ri.gov/mosquito for additional mosquito prevention
tips, videos, and local data. DEM and RIDOH also remind Rhode Islanders to take
precautions to avoid mosquito bites when traveling to Zika-affected countries.
Pregnant women and women who are considering becoming pregnant should not
travel to countries with active transmission of Zika.
"Part of DEM's core mission is encouraging people to get
outside and enjoy Rhode Island's magnificent parks, beaches, and recreational
opportunities, but we realize that this comes with the risk of exposure to
mosquitoes, ticks, and other biting insects," said DEM Director Janet
Coit.
"Fortunately, there are many common-sense ways that Rhode Islanders can protect themselves by preventing bites. With our colleagues at the Department of Health, we're glad to offer these tips to have a safe summer."
"When it comes to mosquito- and tick-borne illnesses,
prevention is the best way to keep yourself and your family healthy and safe
when out enjoying Rhode Island's parks, forests, and other fabulous outdoor
spaces in the coming months," said Director of Health Nicole
Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH.
"Prevention means protecting yourself from mosquito bites,
getting rid of mosquito breeding grounds, reducing exposure to ticks, checking
your body for ticks, and removing ticks whenever they are found."
Ticks
Between 2016 and 2017, Rhode Island saw a 22% increase in the
number of cases of Lyme disease reported by healthcare providers to RIDOH (927
cases in 2016, versus 1,132 cases in 2017). Rhode Island has the fourth-highest
rate of Lyme disease in the nation.
Lyme disease is caused by bacteria that spread through the bite
of an infected tick.
Symptoms of new onset Lyme disease can include a 'bullseye"
rash anywhere on the skin, facial or Bell's palsy (loss of muscle tone on one
or both sides of the face), severe headaches and neck stiffness due to
meningitis (inflammation of the spinal cord), pain and swelling in the large
joints (such as knees), shooting pains that may interfere with sleep, and heart
palpitations and dizziness due to changes in heartbeat.
Anyone with symptoms of Lyme disease should contact their
healthcare provider. Other tick-borne diseases in Rhode Island include
anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, and (rarely) Powassan.
Tick populations are increasing in nearly every area of the
state. All Rhode Islanders should take steps to repel, check for, and remove
ticks by taking the following steps:
• Repel: Wear long pants and long-sleeve shirts when outdoors.
Wear light-colored clothing. Tuck pants into socks so that ticks do not crawl
under clothing.
• Consider wearing tick-repellant clothing treated with
permethrin when going outside in tick habitat and treating your yard with
tick-killing insecticides.
• Use EPA-approved bug spray with one of the following active
ingredients: DEET (20-30% strength), picaridin, IR3535, and oil of lemon
eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol.
• Check yourself and your family daily for ticks, especially if
you spend a lot of time outside in grassy or wooded areas. Don't forget to
check your pets, too, and use products that rapidly kill or repel ticks on
pets. Deer ticks, the kind that carry Lyme disease, are often small (poppy
seed-sized) in their nymphal (immature) stage.
• Remove: If you find a tick, properly remove it with tweezers.
Tick removal within 24 hours of attachment can prevent Lyme transmission.
For more information about ticks, how to avoid being bitten, and
how to remove a tick, visit the University of Rhode Island's TickEncounter
Resource Center at www.tickencounter.org.
RIDOH's Tick Free Rhode Island media campaign includes ads on
television, radio, and social media, features three new animated Tick Free
Rhode Island videos (available in English and Spanish).
The videos show how to repel both ticks and mosquitoes, how to
check for ticks, and how to properly remove a tick from the skin.
To view the videos and get more information on Lyme disease and
other tick-borne diseases visit www.health.ri.gov/ticks.
For more information about DEM divisions and programs, visit
www.dem.ri.gov. Follow us on Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM) and/or Facebook at
www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM for timely updates.
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