As the spring sun warms the air, the grass turns green again, flowers break through the mulch, and trees begin to blossom, many people take those changes as their cue to once again explore the outdoors. Winter has lost its grip and the landscape has again come to life.
But the bike rides, tee-ball games, fishing along the river, walks through the parks, and the family picnics should come with a moderate dose of awareness and prevention. The reception committee in the outdoors sometimes includes mosquitoes and ticks, and the impact of these pests can range from annoying to alarming since both can carry diseases that present serious threats to human health.
Warming weather and a generally wet spring will provide a near-ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes, and the tick population, which has been steadily increasing in Ohio and Michigan, will be actively looking for hosts.
Dr. Dee Ann Bialecki-Haase, a family medicine specialist with ProMedica, said that staying away from sites where mosquitoes and ticks are most likely to be prevalent is a good first step in the prevention plan.
“We usually tell our patients that, if possible, they should avoid those areas where ticks and mosquitoes are often found, such as places with standing water, heavily wooded areas, and places that are overgrown with vegetation,” she said. “But we know you can’t always avoid those since people are outside gardening, going to the parks, and kids are playing outside a lot.”
Dr. Bialecki-Haase said that a few simple measures taken before venturing outside can add layers of protection from mosquitoes and ticks. Repellent sprays and lotions with DEET in them can be applied to exposed skin, but she cautioned that it is important to check with the family physician before using insect repellents on young children or infants.
“Follow the instructions on the label with all of those products,” she said. “Another smart thing to do is to wear protective clothing that covers your arms and legs, and then tuck things in at the waist and ankles. When you are covered it makes bites less likely.”
Treating your outdoor clothing with Permethrin, an insecticide that acts like the natural extracts from the chrysanthemum flower, is very effective at minimizing the risks associated with mosquitoes and ticks.
Tick talk
Dr. Timothy McDermott, a veterinarian with the Ohio State University Extension and an instructor at the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine, said awareness and prevention are becoming more critical since the variety and number of ticks in the Buckeye State are increasing, and the percentage of ticks that carry disease is also on the rise.
“We really have a serious public health threat from them now,” said Dr. McDermott, who conducts informational tick outreach programs around the state. “Ticks are elite at carrying disease so you don’t ever want to get a tick on you. Some of the diseases they carry can be life-changing.”
Tick bites can cause cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, human monocytic ehrlichiosis, tularemia, and babesiosis. The most common ticks in Ohio and Michigan are the American dog tick, black-legged tick, brown dog tick, and lone star tick. The Asian longhorned tick has recently been identified in Ohio and this species is also capable of transmitting disease.
Dr. McDermott said that as we move into the warmer months when people spend much more time outdoors it is important to share some general facts about ticks. These arachnids are active all year but will be more active as the weather warms; not all species are found in the woods, with some living in fields or even residential lawns; and the length of time a tick needs to be attached to transmit disease is determined by a multitude of variables.
“Ticks can live for years and go for months without feeding,” he said. “Tick bites can result in mild to serious illness or death, so proper protection from ticks and prompt removal are crucial to preventing infection.”
Dr. Bialecki-Haase recommended a thorough “tick check” after time spent outdoors, and placing your clothing in the dryer for 10-15 minutes to kill any ticks that might have become attached. She said taking a shower and washing with soap is also good advice.
If a tick has become attached to your skin, there is only one proven method of removal, according to Dr. McDermott.
“The best way, and the only safe way, is to use a tick removal tool or a pair of tweezers that let you get all of the way down to the head so you can be sure and remove the mouth part,” he said, adding that cleaning and sanitizing the bite site should come next. If a tick is embedded it is important to see a doctor.
Tick bites can lead to inflammation, swelling, and irritation at the site, and they create the potential for a secondary bacterial infection. If there is any fever, headache, joint pain, rash, or flu-like symptoms following a tick bite it is essential to see a healthcare professional. It is helpful to save the tick and take it with you to the doctor, if possible.
“If you suspect you’ve had a tick bite, you’ll need to watch closely because a rash doesn’t appear in every single case,” Dr. McDermott said. “But if you have a rash, contact your physician right away”
He said that although there is no specific tick forecast for Ohio for 2022, all indications point to an increasing number of these pests.
“We have reforested Ohio over the last 100 years and decreased the number of predators, so many things are facilitating this tick increase,” he said.
During certain stages of their life, ticks can be very hard to see on your skin, resembling a tiny freckle. Risa Pesapane, an assistant professor in the School of Environment and Natural Resources at Ohio State University, said that while a tick in the nymph stage can be extremely difficult to detect, it carries the same threats to your health as adult ticks.
“The nymphs are just as dangerous because they have already had the opportunity to feed on a host and could be carrying disease,” she said. “Since they are very small, they present one of the riskiest life stages — they are hard to see because they are so small. Those tiny ones are still ticks, but just in a different life stage.”
Water born
With mosquitoes, an increase in their numbers is often directly associated with wet and warm conditions, according to Russell Lamp, anOregon-based entomologist who has been working in the greater Toledo area for more than 30 years. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in water and the developing insects require water for their larval and pupal stages.
“The standing water, especially those areas that last a week or two, will really allow mosquitoes to proliferate,” Mr. Lamp said. “And if it stays wet and the temperature warms up . . . what you have is the ideal incubator for mosquitoes. They will just proliferate.”
Diseases that are spread by mosquitoes in Ohio and Michigan include Eastern equine encephalitis, West Nile virus, La Crosse virus, and St. Louis encephalitis.
To avoid mosquito bites, health care professionals recommend long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, socks, and shoes when outdoors during the early morning and evening hours when mosquitoes are most active. Light-colored clothing is less attractive to mosquitoes and repellents with DEET are very effective.
Mosquitoes find us by using their unique receptors to detect the carbon dioxide we exhale through respiration and through odors on our skin, according to research conducted by Anandasankar Ray at the University of California, Riverside.
“Odors that block this dual-receptor for carbon dioxide and skin odor can be used as a way to mask us from mosquitoes,” he said while reviewing research supported by the National Institutes of Health. “On the other hand, odors that can act as attractants can be used to lure mosquitoes away from us into traps.”
Tick identification and removal - here
Tick smart brochure - here
First Published May 1, 2022, 4:00 a.m.
