Protect yourself against summer insects
Published 11:25 pm, Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Summer brings sunshine, warmth and, if you're lucky, a lot of time off -- the makings of many a perfect day outside. But the same conditions that make the summertime outdoors so enticing also breed some of the season's most serious health hazards.
The hot, muggy weather leads to a resurgence of disease-carrying pests, most notably mosquitoes and black-legged, or deer ticks, blood-sucking insects that act as vectors for a host of serious diseases.
Mosquitoes can carry potentially life-threatening diseases such as West Nile virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis, both of which were reported in humans in southern Connecticut last summer.
More InformationSafety precautions against mosquitoes
Avoid the outdoors during times of high mosquito activity, mainly dusk and dawn.
When outside for extended periods of time, wear long sleeves and pants
Use mosquito repellent appropriate for your age group -- 10 percent or less DEET for children, less than 30 percent DEET for adults and no DEET for infants and small children.
Cover up limbs of children and use mosquito netting for carriages and infant playpens.
Eliminate all pools of standing water from your property.
For more safety measures, visit the Health Department page on the town website: www.greenwichct.org.
Safety precautions against ticks
Wear light-colored clothing while outside to make ticks easier to identify.
Wear closed-toed shoes and tuck pants into socks to limit skin exposure.
Use insect repellent containing 30 percent DEET. Do not apply under clothing or to children under 2 years.
After being outdoors, thoroughly check yourself, your children and pets for ticks. If found, quickly remove them by grasping their mouth parts as close to the skin as possible with tweezers and pulling with steady pressure.
Keep grass mowed, and clear brush, leaf litter and tall weeds from the edges of your lawn. Create a 3-foot-wide buffer of wood chips or mulch between your lawn and woods, if possible.
Contact a physician if bitten, and monitor for early symptoms of disease.
For more safety measures visit the Health Department page on the town website: www.greenwichct.org.
But both of those conditions are very rare in comparison to infections caused by deer ticks: In 2013, the state saw 2,657 confirmed or probable cases of Lyme disease, the primary illness caused by deer ticks, compared to four cases of West Nile and just one of EEE.
Town Department of Health officials warn residents that this time of year is the beginning of the most dangerous period posed by the insects, brought on by a combination of prime breeding conditions and people spending more time outside.
"The month of May begins the nymph life cycle of the deer tick," said Douglas Serafin, the department's director of laboratory. Tick nymphs, which often hide on long grasses and foliage, are very small and can be difficult to see on the skin, he said.
Mosquitoes reach peak breeding in the early days of the summer.
July through September are the high points for infections stemming from both critters.
Though most people infected with West Nile do not develop symptoms, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in five infected people experience fever and often other flu-like symptoms. In rare cases, West Nile can cause meningitis and encephalitis.
EEE is rarer, but more severe: When symptoms appear, they often begin as a high fever, chills and vomiting, and can result in brain inflammation, seizures and coma.
Early symptoms of Lyme typically include fever, joint pain and a stiff neck, and are often, but not always, accompanied by a "bull's-eye" rash around the site of the tick bite. Later stages of the disease include severe arthritis, weakness and other neurological and cardiac complications.
But while the diseases spread by mosquitoes and ticks can affect anyone, they most often impact two very different demographics.
Children and teens are most likely to contract Lyme, largely because they spend the most time outdoors in tick-friendly environments. They also have the most to lose, said town Health Director Caroline Calderone Baisley.
"When Lyme disease is misdiagnosed and goes untreated in children, it has a profound, devastating impact on a child's well-being," she said in a statement, "so it is imperative to know the signs and symptoms of this disease."
West Nile, on the other hand, is most dangerous for people over age 50 and those with compromised immune systems, who may be less capable of fighting off serious illness. While only one in 100 people bitten by infected mosquitoes become ill, the risk is higher for the elderly, according to the Health Department.
While the department is in the beginning stages of a town-wide mosquito larvicide program, it still advises residents to take precautions, including avoiding the outdoors during dusk and dawn, wearing long sleeves and pants, and using bug spray with DEET.
Ticks are harder to control. But the Health Department encourages residents to take steps to protect themselves.
"By applying a few simple precautionary measures like checking for ticks on the body daily and using insect repellent," said Baisley, "everyone can still enjoy the warm weather and decrease their chances of becoming infected."