Delaware’s Division of Public Health (DPH) is trying to prepare the public for a bad tick season as reports indicate the mild winter and excessive spring rainfall could lead to an inordinate amount of ticks in the First State this summer.
Deer ticks can transmit Lyme disease to humans through their bites. If untreated the bacterial infection can lead to complications like heart palpitations, dizziness and joint pain.
DPH Infectious Disease Epidemiologist Paula Eggers says a health educator has visited more than 70 schools in Delaware this spring to spread Lyme disease prevention awareness.
“We certainly recommend repellant,” said Eggers. “You can wear light colored clothing that will help you spot ticks on your clothing a little more easily. You can tuck your pants into your socks or your boots to [keep] them from getting up your pant leg.”
Delaware is also adding tick bite prevention signs to trails in state parks as ticks are commonly in grassy areas.
Eggers says some people think you can use Vaseline, a match tip or essential oils to remove ticks, but that is not true.
“They simply don’t work,” she said. “They’re not effective tick removal. So we do recommend using fine tip tweezers to grasp the base of the tick and pull up to remove the tick before it has an opportunity to pass off infection.”
Delaware is among the top 10 states with the highest Lyme disease rates in the country. Last year DPH reported 520 cases statewide with more than 300 in New Castle County.
Gov. John Carney declared this week Lyme Disease Awareness Week in the First State.
