CHARLOTTE, N.C. — April is Tick and Mosquito Awareness Month in North Carolina.
Other than being a nuisance, ticks and mosquitoes can carry dangerous diseases.
According to a proclamation by North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, there were almost 800 cases of tick and mosquito-borne diseases reported in the state in 2022. West Nile encephalitis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease are some of them.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said mosquitoes and ticks are most active in the spring, summer and early fall.
“The most common reactions are the local reaction with bump, swelling and itchiness, but some patients can progress to more allergic reactions that require emergent care,” Signature Healthcare Internal Medicine Physician Dr. Ameesha Pandya Kansupada said.
For mosquito prevention, she recommends draining any buckets or kiddie pools in the backyard.
“If you have any stagnant water in your neighborhood, you want to stay away from that. If you have baby pools or buckets that fill up with rain water around your house, you want to make sure you drain those,” Pandya Kansupada said.
Parent Rodolfo Uscanga who often visits Charlotte area parks with his son Sebastian said he implements these measures at home.
When it comes to ticks, he checks Sebastian after being outside.
“Before bath time, we check his head, behind his ears, the back of his knees and under his arms,” Uscanga said.
Other than tick checks on yourself, children and pets, Pandya Kansupada recommends showering within two hours of being outside. In addition, washing clothes used for the outdoor activity and drying them in high heat are good measures.
If you spot a tick on you, Pandya Kansupada said you should use tweezers or fine tip forceps to remove it.
“You want to remove the tick immediately because the longer the tick stays on your skin feeding on your blood, the most likely it is to transmit disease,” Pandya Kansupada said.
She advises saving the tick in a zipper storage bag, in case it needs to be identified later.
Pandya Kansupada said you should call your doctor, if you can’t remove the tick.
“If you think the tick has been there for longer than two days, [or] you have a fever or rash, you may need antibiotics to prevent Lyme disease,” Pandya Kansupada said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, untreated Lyme disease can spread to joints, heart and nervous system. Rocky Mountain spotted fever can cause fever, headache and a rash and can be deadly if not treated early with the right antibiotic.