ALBANY — The state Department of Health is reminding New Yorkers, visitors and everyone who enjoys the outdoors of the importance of protection against ticks and tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease. Ticks are active into the fall and pose a serious health risk to humans and pets.

“Although summer is officially over, ticks will still be active during the fall and unfortunately they can spread serious diseases such as Lyme disease if they attach to you,” State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said in a press release. “While enjoying the beauty of the outdoors this fall, remember to protect yourself and clothing throughout the day. Avoid tall grassy, brushy, and wooded areas, and use protective clothing and repellent to help keep you safe and healthy.”

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can be transmitted when an infected blacklegged tick (commonly called a deer tick, the most common tick in New York) bites a person and remains attached for 24 or more hours. In some cases, an expanding rash resembling a bull’s eye or solid patch appears near the site of the bite. If an expanding rash with a diameter of more than two inches appears or flu-like symptoms occur over a 30-day period following a tick bite, individuals should contact their health care provider immediately.

While hiking, working or spending time in wooded areas, follow these simple steps to help prevent tick bites:

¯ Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts for protection. Light colored clothing is best because it allows for greater visibility of ticks. Tucking your shirt into your pants and your pants into your socks provides additional protection.

¯ When hiking, stick to the center of trails as opposed to walking on the edges.

¯ Check for ticks often while outdoors and brush off any before they attach.

¯ Perform a full body check multiple times during the day, as well as at the end of the day, to ensure that no ticks are attached.

¯ Consider using repellents containing DEET, picaridin or IR3535, and follow label instructions. See the Department of Health’s website for a video on repellent use. Consider treating clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin or buy permethrin-treated products. Permethrin products are not intended for use on skin; follow label instructions.

¯ Put clothes in a hot dryer for 10-15 minutes after coming indoors.

¯ Shower soon after being outdoors. Showering may help wash off unattached ticks and it is a good opportunity to do a tick check.

¯ Remember to check pets for ticks after spending time outdoors and talk to your veterinarian about ways to reduce ticks on your pet.

If you notice a tick attached, use fine-tipped tweezers to remove it. Avoid risky removal strategies such as detergent or burning, as these could increase your risk of infection. See the Department of Health’s website for a video on proper tick removal technique. If you have difficulty removing a tick, see your health care provider.

Tick bites can transmit diseases in addition to Lyme disease including anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and although rare, Powassan virus encephalitis. The blacklegged tick can carry pathogens that cause anaplasmosis and babesiosis, the second and third most common tick-borne diseases impacting nearly 2,000 New Yorkers annually combined.

Anaplasmosis, in particular, has been found in an increasing number of New Yorkers over a larger geographic area over the past several years, with infections now occurring north and west of the Capital Region. Other less-common tick-borne diseases that can be acquired in New York state include ehrlichiosis which is transmitted by the Lone Star tick and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever which is transmitted by the American dog tick. Powassan encephalitis, a tick-borne viral illness that can cause encephalitis or meningitis, is reported each year in New York State as well, although case numbers are very low (generally 1-5 cases per year).

The DOH and its partners routinely collect and analyze ticks from across the state to better understand the tick population, tick behavior and regional trends in diseases carried by ticks. Current and retrospective tick collection and testing results are publicly available on the department’s Health Data NY website (health.data.ny.gov). A map showing your risk of encountering an infected blacklegged tick by NY geographic region can be found at Tick Risk Score by Region (https://tinyurl.com/4ees7fza).

For more information about Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, visit https://tinyurl.com/26hwa6zx.