Now that tick season is here, how do you safely remove a tick if it’s attached?
Lyon County Environmental Health Director Keena Privat had the official guidance on KVOE’s Morning Show this week:
Privat says tick traffic has been notable so far late this spring into early summer, and traffic overall has been increasing areawide for several years. Lyon County has several tick varieties, including the Lone Star, dog, black-legged and deer tick. Privat says warmer weather patterns have brought more ticks overall and some varieties that haven’t been around until recently.
Ticks are responsible for several diseases, with Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever likely the most well-known. Ticks can also be responsible for anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Powassan Virus Disease — and Heartland virus, which was recently noted in Crawford County. Heartland is exceedingly rare, with this only being the state’s third case since the virus was first logged in Kansas in 2016.
Residents can avoid tick issues by wearing long pants or socks treated with DEET, as well as spraying pets and checking for the insects after trips outside.
