Tick Borne Disease on the Rise in the Fall

As the temperature starts to drop, many of us assume that the population of ticks will also start to decline. That we are less likely to be at risk from these disease spreading pests because the colder weather means there’s little chance that we may come into contact with a tick, even if we venture into their habitat. WRONG! Unfortunately, these microscopic bugs can still survive as the seasons take their turn, so be aware!

Disease-Carrying Ticks Can Stay Active in Fall, NY Warns

Ticks can remain active until temperatures drop below about 40 degrees. So officials say it’s important to take precautions and perform tick checks after being outdoors even as the weather cools down. Lyme disease-causing bacteria are spread by blacklegged ticks, which are common around the state.

Ticks are responsible for the spread of diseases such as Lyme, Powassan and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, some of which have no treatment or cure. So if you’ve not been protecting yourself from ticks until now, you might want to start getting on the case.

We expose ourselves to the threat of contracting viruses (not just those transmitted by ticks) each and every day, some of which we can protect ourselves against, some of which we can’t or are unaware of until it’s too late.

Personal Protection

Your best defense against tick-borne illness is to avoid contact with ticks in the first place. Your next best defense is to quickly find and remove any ticks that may latch on to you. Ticks tend to be near the ground, in leaf litter, grasses, bushes and fallen logs. High risk activities include playing in leaves, gathering firewood and leaning against tree trunks. When you hike, stay on cleared trails instead of walking across grassy fields.

Just one bite from an infected tick can really have an impact on your health and with tick borne disease on the rise in the Fall, don’t give these critters a chance to thrive by feeding on you!