Lyme Disease Awareness Month is a chance to bring awareness to the tickborne disease that affects millions of Americans. You can learn more about how to identify, prevent, and treat Lyme Disease at https://www.illymeassociation.org/
Tips to Avoid Tickborne Illnesses
- Walk in the center of trails. Avoid wooded, bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
- Wear light-colored clothing to make ticks easier to find. Tuck long pants into socks and boots.
- Apply an EPA-registered insect repellent containing 20% DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus according to label directions.
- Conduct full-body tick checks on family members (underarms, ears, belly button, behind knees, between legs, waist, hair and scalp) every two to three hours. Also check any gear or pets taken on outings.
- Put your clothes in the dryer on high for 10 minutes (or one hour for damp clothes) to kill ticks.
- Bathe or shower within two hours after coming indoors.
- If you find a black legged tick on you that may have been attached for more than three days, then seek medical attention to decide if you need an antibiotic to prevent Lyme disease.
For more info: dph.illinois.gov/resource-center/news/2024/may/as-lyme-disease-awareness-month
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