KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Officials with the Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services Department are warning residents of the rising number of Lyme disease cases in the county.
Statistics indicate the numbers are 13% over last year’s totals and five times what they were five years ago.
KCHCS has released a list of tips to prevent ticks when heading out and looking for ticks after being outdoors:
Before You Go Outdoors:
- Know where to expect ticks. Ticks live in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas, or even on animals.
- Treat clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin or you can buy permethrin-treated clothing and gear. Always follow product instructions. EPA’s helpful search tool external icon can help you find the product that best suits your needs.
- Avoid Contact with Ticks. Avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass and walk in the center of trails.
After You Come Indoors:
- Check your clothing for ticks. Any ticks that are found should be removed. Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing after you come indoors.
- Examine gear and pets. Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, so carefully examine pets, coats, and daypacks.
- Check your body for ticks after being outdoors. Showering within two hours of coming indoors may help wash off unattached ticks, and it is a good opportunity to do a tick check.
- Check these areas of your body and your child’s body after being outdoors. Under the arms, in and around the hair and ears, inside the belly button, the waist and back, back of the knees and between the legs and pelvic area.
According to health officials the typical signs of Lyme disease include flu-like symptoms; however, if left untreated, it may spread to joints, the heart, or the nervous system.
“Kalamazoo County has a known risk for Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. Taking a few simple preventative measures, including with your dogs and cats, when going outdoors can make a huge difference,” said Mary Franks, Kalamazoo County Epidemiologist.
For more information, go to https://www.cdc.gov/lyme.
