By this time of year in Fairfield County, the weather is usually warm outside and residents are enjoying being outside after the long winter.  Your Fairfield Department of Health reminds residents to be aware that ticks are active as well, and can carry several diseases.  The American Dog Tick can transmit Rock Mountain Spotted Fever.  The Dog Tick is very common in Ohio, often found in grassy fields and wooded areas.  The Black Legged Tick which was formerly called the Deer Tick, can carry Lyme Disease.  Fortunately the Black Legged Tick is not very common in Ohio.  In 2006, ten ticks were submitted to the Fairfield Department of Health for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever testing, and in 2005, four ticks were submitted.  None of them tested positive. 

   The Fairfield Department of Health offers these tips to reduce your exposure to ticks and tick related diseases:

• Stick to main pathways and the center of trails when hiking.
• Wear long-sleeved, light-colored shirts and long pants tucked into your socks. This way, you can see the ticks.
• Use repellents that contain DEET on your clothes or exposed skin or those that contain permethrin on your clothes.
• Keep grass cut short.
• Remove leaf litter and brush from around your home.
• Prune low lying bushes to let in more sunlight.
• Keep woodpiles and bird feeders off the ground and away from your home.
• Plant trees or flowers that do not attract deer and install a fence to keep deer from entering your property.
• Check yourself for ticks first and then other family members and pets. Check along the hairline, between the toes, back of the knees, groin, armpits, and neck and behind the ears.

   If you find a tick attached to your skin, the best way to remove it is to grasp the tick with tweezers and gently pull until the tick is removed. Don’t squeeze or crush it when pulling. Do not use a hot match on the tick.  This may irritate the tick and cause it to hold on more tightly.  Don’t pull too hard or you may leave mouth parts in your skin. 

   Once the tick has been removed, disinfect the site and make sure you wash your hands. If you have a tick that was attached, keep it alive by placing it in a container, then put small piece of moist paper or tissue inside.   If you would like to have the tick tested for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever; bring it alive to the Fairfield Department of Health, 1587 Granville Pike in Lancaster, and we will send it to the Ohio Department of Health Vector Bourne Disease Lab.