Health officials: Ticks not huge problem here
Other parts of U.S. have seen big uptick in numbers
Tick populations have been exploding in many parts of the U.S. this spring and summer, but the bloodsucking creatures that spread Lyme disease and other illnesses are not overtaking the Yuma area, according to the county health department.
Diana Gomez, director of the Yuma County Public Health Services District, said there has been one case of Lyme disease reported to the department so far this year, but the patient was infected by a tick bite while outside of the county.
“Because of our geography and climate, Yuma County is more prone to mosquito-borne diseases than tick diseases,” she said. But there have been no reports of these types of illnesses so far in 2018 either; monitored maladies spread by mosquitoes include West Nile, dengue, Zika, chickengunya, malaria and yellow fever.
“A big thank you to the community for doing a great job in reporting potential mosquito breeding grounds, including green pools, which have enabled us to treat areas proactively.” Gomez said.
Surveillance and treatment activities by the Yuma County Pest Abatement District is also part of the reason there’s been success in keeping mosquito-spread dis-
eases at bay, she said.
Ticks, which are arachnids and not insects, are most commonly found in wooded areas of the eastern states. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, out of the seven known species of humanbiting ticks, one is found throughout the continental U.S. including Arizona, the brown dog tick. This species usually targets dogs but can bite humans as well.
Another, the western black-legged tick, is found along the Pacific Coast and on east past the Colorado River. Some incursions into the western edges of Yuma and La Paz counties and into northwestern Arizona have been reported, according to a map on the CDC website.
The western blacklegged tick can transmit Lyme disease and anaplasmosis, while the brown dog tick is a vector for Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia.
Gomez said the health district’s advice for avoiding ticks includes:
• Enjoy the outdoors safely. Wear protective clothing and approved insect repellent. Stay on trails when hiking and avoid exposure in wooded, overgrown areas. Stay on trails when hiking.
• Check your clothing and body for ticks after being outdoors. Common areas are back of the knees, waist, in and around the ears and hair.
• Check your pets for ticks and fleas. Prevent pets from roaming loose in wooded or overgrown areas. Pets can pick up the infected fleas of wild animals, and then pass fleas on to their human owners.
• If you believe you have been exposed or feel ill, contact your physician. Quick identification and treatment are important.