Richmond and Henrico Health Districts give tick safety tips

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts are providing tick safety tips to spread awareness and prevent tick-related illness.

The districts recommend taking the following steps to stay safe from tick-related illness throughout summer:

• Prepare for ticks before you go outside. Use an Environmental Protection Agency-registered insect repellent and tuck your pants into your socks , especially if you’re headed into a grassy or forested area. If you’re adventuring with kids, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that your insect repellent has less than 30% DEET.
• Do tick checks. Once you’re indoors, inspect your clothing and body for ticks. Make sure you’ve checked in areas where a tick could hide easily, like your hair, behind or in your ears, under your arms, and in your belly button.
• Remove ticks correctly. If you find a tick, use tweezers and grip the insect as close to your skin as possible. Pull directly up with steady, even pressure until the tick releases. Don’t “squish” the tick. Clean the area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
• Identify the tick. It can be helpful to identify any tick that bites you so that if you get sick, you and your care providers have more information. Use the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) tick identification chart to identify the tick. You can save the tick in a bag or container with rubbing alcohol or submit a tick survey and photo to VDH.
• Seek care. If you start feeling sick or develop symptoms like a rash or fever a few days or weeks after a tick bite, make sure to tell your medical provider that you were bitten by a tick.

Tick bites are associated with numerous serious and potentially life-threatening medical problems , including Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever , Lyme disease , Alpha-gal food allergy , ehrlichiosis , and anaplasmosis , according to the districts.

For more information about tick safety, visit the Virginia Department of Health’s website .

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