Health District Issues Alerts On Mosquitoes And Ticks

Donna McCarthy, director of the Newtown Health District, this week issued health alerts on how residents can protect themselves against the West Nile virus and Lyme disease.

“Dump the water and do a tick check everyday,” Ms McCarthy said.

“Dump any standing water immediately,” she explained. “Mosquitoes live near and breed in standing water. There are many things that hold water in your yard: unused bird baths, boats, buckets, tires, unused pools, pots, cans, roof gutters. Look around and dump it.

“Mosquito populations can be reduced on your property and in your neighborhood by eliminating standing water,” she said. “It is critically important that we all do what we can to keep our yards and neighborhoods safe and reduce the potential for the transmission of West Nile virus. Also, use personal precautions, limit activities at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active, wear protective clothing such as long-sleeved shirts and pants, and use insect repellents and use them only as recommended by the manufacturer –– read those directions.”

Ms McCarthy said it is also important to do a tick check every day.

“And I mean every day, even more than once if you are outdoors for an extended period of time,” she said. “A daily tick check, with prompt and proper removal of any attached ticks is your next best defense against Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. Your best defense is to keep those horrible little creatures off of you –– by either avoiding the tick habitat or by using personal protective measures [clothing, repellent, etc].

“But keeping those wretched little critters off of you is easier said than done,” she continued. “The next best thing [is to] get them off of you as quickly as possible. Literature tells us that a tick has to be attached for 24 to 48 hours to transmit the spirochetes that cause Lyme, so get them off quickly. And be sure to remove them properly, with fine tipped tweezers, grasping just behind where the mouthparts enter the skin and pulling upward in a slow and steady motion. Please do not squeeze them with your fingers, do not use petroleum jelly, or a match or any other extraneous objects.”

Ms McCarthy said the good news is that tick results from the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station indicate that 78 percent of the ticks sent from Newtown for testing have not been engorged.

“This means that Newtown residents are doing tick checks and are removing the ticks before they have a chance to feed and potentially infect,” she said. “This is good news, folks, please keep up the good work.”

Anyone who has any questions or who would like additional information, can contact the health district at 270-4291 or email newtownhd@earthlink.net.