LIVEWELL MINUTE: Lyme Disease

The weather is warming up and soon outdoor activities will be all that is on everyone s minds from camping to hiking. But, being outdoors isn t always all fun and games.

Pete Hetherington, Blank Children’s Hospital tells us that from April through October, Lyme disease is a real threat to families. In fact, reports for this bacterial illness have tripled since 1990.

To help prevent your children from being bitten by ticks, Blank Children s Hospital recommends:

• Avoid areas that deer ticks are known to inhabit: woods, tall grasses and the areas between yards and woods.
• Wear protective clothing when you will be in wooded or marshy areas.
• Apply an insect repellent containing no more than 10 percent DEET. Use repellent  sparingly on children and never on babies younger than 2 years.
• Check children promptly and thoroughly for ticks when they return from being outside.

Remove any attached ticks by pulling them out with tweezers. Removal within 24 to 72 hours may prevent transmission of Lyme Disease.