Premier Medical Group wants you to be aware of the dangers of these diseases.  It’s all a part of “Full Circle Care”.

The warmer weather of summer means the start of tick and mosquito season and the diseases they transmit, including:

• • Lyme disease
  • Rocky Mountain spotted fever
  • West Nile
  • Zika

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the 4 main culprits are:

• Deer tick, which transmits Lyme disease;
• American dog tick, which transmits Rocky Mountain spotted fever
• Culex pipiens mosquito, which transmits West Nile virus
• Aedes aegypti mosquito, which transmits Zika

The increase in disease cases caused by the bite of an infected mosquito, tick or flea in the United States is the result of many factors. West Nile virus, for example, was introduced to New York City in 1999 and then spread across the country. As a result of these increases, more people are at risk for infection. Overseas travel and commerce are also increasingly common, and someone infected with a mosquito-borne virus such as Zika in one country can unknowingly transport it home.

Climate change. Warmer temperatures tend to make mosquitoes get infected faster and also more infectious. The amount of virus in the mosquito increases, and when it bites you, more virus gets into you. Thus, the chance of you getting infected and becoming sick goes up.

How to protect yourself this summer:

Cover up, even when it’s hot out – Build a protective shield around yourself. If you’re going hiking in tick country, wear long pants, long sleeves, shoes and socks. Tuck your pants into your socks to avoid any exposed skin around the ankles.

Use insect repellent on exposed skin

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency recommend using mosquito repellents containing active ingredients of DEET; picaridin; IR3535; oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para-menthane-diol (PMD); or 2-undecanone.

Check yourself for ticks after a hike

Take a shower after your hike and check yourself for ticks. Make sure to feel your scalp under your hair, and check folds of skin, your private parts, behind your ears and behind your knees.

Minimize exposure in your home and yard

Mosquitoes breed in fresh water and can reproduce in as little as a bottle cap full of water. So rid your yard and deck of empty flower pots, bird baths or bowls where water can accumulate. (If you keep a dog’s water bowl outside, empty and refresh it frequently).

If you feel any signs of a flea or tick-borne illness, contact your physician right away. Our main priority at Premier Medical Group is to help keep our Clarksville community healthy. It’s all part of PMG #FullCircleCare. Contact us today if you need to schedule your annual wellness visit or if you are looking for a new provider.

 

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Sources:
Washington Post
New York Times