What to know as tick season approaches again

WARREN COUNTY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – With weather pushing close to 70 degrees midday Thursday, spring has sprung in the Glens Falls area. Even if the temperatures should dip again before they rise, Warren County Health Services is putting out a reminder: tick season has come again.

Tick activity is expected to pick up quickly as the weather warms this spring and summer. Hiking and outdoor recreation are big for the insect’s spread, but yard work and other activities in tall grass can also lead to exposure. In 2021, tick activity created a nearly fourfold increase in anaplasmosis in Warren County. As of Thursday, 17 cases had been reported in 2022, on track to follow the same pace as last year.

“The disease threat from ticks is one to take seriously, and we are already at the time of year where ticks are becoming more active and they will stay active until winter,” said Warren County Health Services Director Ginelle Jones. “Please take precautions to keep ticks off of you, and check yourself after you have been outside to make sure you don’t have an unwanted passenger that can make you sick.”

County staff will be visiting some of Glens Falls and Queensbury’s popular outdoor recreation sites to hand out tick removal kits and educational materials for those who want to know more about bite prevention. Staff will visit the Fire Road entrance to Cole’s Woods and the West Mountain Road entrance to Rush Pond Trail from 1-3 p.m. on Thursday, May 5. Further events will be planned from there.

In addition to anaplasmosis, ticks in the immediate area have been known to carry Lyme Disease, babesiosis, Powassan virus and ehrlichiosis. Precautions that should be taken to avoid tick exposure include:

Treating clothing with permethrin tick repellant
Use of insect repellant on exposed skin, including:
- DEET
- Picaridin
- IR3535
- Oil of lemon eucalyptus
- Para-menthane-diol
- 2-undecanone
Wearing a hat, long pants tucked into socks, light-colored clothing, a long-sleeved shirt, and closed-toe shoes
Minimizing contact with flora on the trail
Performing a full-body check for ticks after an outing, including an immediate shower

Symptoms of Lyme Disease and other tick-borne illnesses can include a rash or red “bullseye” at the bite site, as well as fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite. Those who experience symptoms should seek medical attention. Conditions such as Lyme Disease can create physical and cognitive issues that can last six months or much longer, with some cases lasting indefinitely.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), anaplasmosis is a bacterial infection spread by the same ticks that carry Lyme Disease. Symptoms include: