Mosquitoes & Ticks

How do ticks affect me and my family?

A profile on ticks and the impact they can have on our health, as well as what you can do to protect your family

For many people, summer and fall are wonderful times to spend with family and friends. Being outside means connecting with nature, plenty of fresh air, and lots of fun. However, some outdoor activities expose you to certain risks—and ticks bites are one of them. The good news is that there are ways to avoid tick bites and prevent disease. Remember, just because you get bit doesn’t mean you will get sick. However, it is always a good idea to educate yourself and your family on ways to avoid these bites.

Most Americans have at least some familiarity with ticks—perhaps the most common association with the parasite is Lyme disease. Other common diseases ticks transmit to humans are babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Symptoms vary widely but can cause serious short-term and long-term harm.

Prevalence or existence of diseases varies by geographic areas. It can be helpful to know which ticks are in your area to better protect yourself and your family by using this resource from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

You may like to garden, hike, bike, or have a barbecue with friends, but no one wants to get sick as a result of these activities. There are ways to do the things you love while preventing tick bites. Keep reading for the best ways to keep ticks away so that you and your family can play!

Protecting yourself

Ticks like to live in brushy, grassy areas with high grass, so take precautions if you know you are going be spending time in that type of environment. [1]

Using personal insect repellent:

Consider using a product with active ingredients like DEET and Picaridin that lists ticks on its label. In fact, the Centers for Disease and Prevention recommend products that contain 20[2] percent or more DEET or Picaridin. These products affect the scent receptors in ticks which makes it hard for them to recognize and bite you.
Always read the label for proper use instructions.
Only apply personal insect repellents to exposed skin and not under clothing.
If using sunscreen, apply sunscreen before putting on personal insect repellent.
When using personal insect repellent on the face, apply to your hands to rub it on.
Do NOT allow children to handle personal insect repellents. To apply it to children, spray or apply the cream to your own hands first, then apply it to the child.

Take some time to decide what product is right for you and your family. The right product might differ depending of if you’re gardening, hiking, relaxing, exercising, or separately, if you need 2 or 8 hour protection.

Taking additional safety precautions:

Wear light-colored, long sleeves and long pants while in areas with ticks.

Stay on trails and avoid walking through high grass.
Consider tucking your shirt in and tucking pants into socks. You could also wear a hat for protection.

Coming home

After you come home from the outdoors, make sure to check yourself or your family for ticks. Ticks like to hide on clothing, pets, gear, and your body. If possible, take a bath or shower within two hours of being outdoors. Bathing will help to wash off any ticks that may have crawled on you.
Ticks like warm places, and here are common locations they hide:

https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/prev/on_people.html

Tick removal

If you find a tick, don’t panic. Make sure to remove it properly as soon as you find it and avoid home remedies that make the tick detach on its own. Immediate and safe removal is most important. Click HERE for the CDC recommendation on proper tick removal.

If a tick bites you, check out the CDCs symptoms of tickborne illness to keep an eye out for possible symptoms. Spending time outdoors is the best part of summer, but stay safe by taking the proper precautions to avoid tick-borne diseases.

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[1] https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/prev/on_people.html

[2] U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. May 2, 2018. Preventing Tick Bites. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/avoid/on_people.html

A Little Bug With a Huge Impact

Observing World Mosquito Day 2018 by learning the history of the insect as well as tips to prevent diseases they may carry.

What is World Mosquito Day?

Since 1897, World Mosquito Day has been celebrated on August 20^th to commemorate Sir Ronald Ross’ discovery that female mosquitoes transmit malaria to humans.[i] He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1902. His work has become the foundation for research in mosquito-borne diseases. Today, World Mosquito Day is used to raise awareness about illnesses such as malaria, Zika, dengue, West Nile virus, and many more. Malaria is the most serious, infecting an estimated 216 million people and causing 445,000 deaths each year, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)^{^[ii]}.

In the U.S., however, diseases such as Zika and West Nile have more of an impact. In 2017, there were 452 reported cases of the Zika virus and 5,168 reported cases in 2016.[iii] In 2017, there were 2,002 reported cases of West Nile in the U.S, in 47 states, and the District of Columbia. The best way to the reduce risk of diease is by preventing the bite.

History of Mosquito Research

Cases of malaria have been documented since 2700 BC[iv], but it was not until 1880 when Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran, a French army surgeon, noticed parasites in the blood of malaria patients[v]. This discovery set the stage for major advancements to be taken in the diagnosis and treatment of malaria. In 1934, Hans Andersag invented the antimalarial medicine Resochin.

Keeping You and Your Family Safe

The best way to prevent mosquito-borne diseases is to prevent a bite of a mosquito. Check out the ways in which you can protect you and your family from pesky and potentially dangerous bites:

Using personal insect repellent:

Consider using a product with active ingredients like DEET and Picaridin. These products effect the receptors in mosquitoes which makes it hard for them to recognize where to land and bite you.
Always read the label for proper use instructions.
Only apply personal insect repellants to exposed skin and not under clothing.
If using sunscreen, apply sunscreen first, then apply personal insect repellant.
When using personal insect repellant on the face, apply to hands first to rub on.
Do NOT allow children to handle personal insect repellents. To apply it to children, spray or apply the cream to your own hands first, then apply it to the child.

Take some time to decide what product is right for you and your family. The right product might differ depending on if you’re planning to do some gardening, hiking, relaxing, or exercising. The product can also differ if you need 2-hour protection or 8-hour protection.

Taking additional safety precautions:

Wear light-colored, long sleeves and long pants while in mosquito dense areas.
Consider tucking your shirt in and tucking pants into socks. You could also wear a hat for protection.
Keep mosquitoes outside by installing screens in your windows and doors, as well as utilizing air conditioning rather than opening windows.
If you can’t protect your sleeping area from the outdoors, consider using a bed net.

Protecting your home:

Remove standing water around your home to prevent mosquitoes from reproducing. Standing water can collect in gutters, old tires, bird baths, puddles on roof, and fountains, among other instances.
Ensure all doors and windows are sealed so mosquitoes cannot enter the home.
Secure all screens around the home

Preventing bites is the key to avoiding a mosquito-borne illness, and ultimately insect repellent is the best first step to defend yourself. If you do get bitten, don’t panic! Most of the time a bite is not a big deal, but if you are worried, contact your doctor for more information.

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[i] https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/history/ross.html

[ii] https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/malaria_worldwide/impact.html

[iii] https://www.cdc.gov/zika/reporting/2016-case-counts.html

[iv] https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/history/index.html

[v] https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/history/laveran.html

Stay Protected this Summer Against Insect Bites

For many individuals and families, summer is the time for beach visits, Fourth of July celebrations, camping trips, bike rides and tons of outdoor activities. The increase in insect populations doesn’t have to spoil your outdoor plans!

So what causes this increase in insects? According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), frequent warm weather, increased human travel between continents, as well as reforestation in certain states all contribute to the spike in insect populations.

Prevention is key. There are effective methods of protecting yourself from insect bites. The CDC recommends using insect repellent with DEET, Picaridin, IR3535 or Oil of lemon eucalyptus to protect from mosquito bites and using a repellent that contains at least 20 percent DEET, picaridin or IR3535 to prevent tick bites.

ACE has teamed up with SC Johnson to share helpful tips on how to effectively apply personal insect repellent to protect you and your family,

Before using a personal insect repellent, always read the product label first to make sure you are using the product that’s right for you and your family.
Be sure to apply personal insect repellents only to exposed skin and clothing and never underneath clothing. If you plan to wear sunscreen, apply sunscreen first and then personal insect repellent over it.
When using personal insect repellent, avoid contact with the eyes, lips and ears, and never spray or rub the product over cuts, wounds or irritated skin.
To use personal insect repellent on the face, apply to hands first, and then distribute it over the face and neck.
Do not allow children to handle personal insect repellents.

Learn more at http://www.scjohnson.com/en/mosquitoes/default.aspx

Alliance for Consumer Education

Mosquitoes & Ticks

How do ticks affect me and my family?

A profile on ticks and the impact they can have on our health, as well as what you can do to protect your family

A Little Bug With a Huge Impact

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