Insect-borne illnesses haven’t hit Lyon County in large numbers, but this is the time for those to start revving up.
Lyon County Public Health Emergency Preparedness Director Jennifer Millbern says the two most common vector-borne illnesses, as they are officially called, are Rocky Mountain spotted fever, brought by ticks, and West Nile virus, transmitted by mosquitoes.
Removing ticks should not include anything that will force the tick to regurgitate whatever is inside it into your body, like suffocating with Vaseline or touch them with hot items like matches. Instead, you should use narrow, flat tweezers, grab as close to the body as possible, pull straight up to remove the tick, make sure the mouth parts are gone and then disinfect the affected area.
Meanwhile, all area counties are currently at high risk of West Nile presence, although there haven’t been any cases so far. Millbern says the best approach is to remove any standing water.
Symptoms of Rocky Mountain spotted fever include fever, chills, aches and pains, fatigue and a rash. West Nile symptoms are similar but also include vomiting and diarrhea.
