Tuesday, May 22nd 2018, 3:08 pm
Two Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation Department employees have returned to work after they reported feeling sick due to tick bites, according to City Spokesperson Kristy Yager.
Yager said there’s no confirmation when they were bitten or which tick disease they contracted.
The Oklahoma City-County Health department is alerting citizens to the uptick in tick bites as well as cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
READ ALSO: OCCHD Seeing Uptick In Tick Bites And Illness
Health officials say if you are out hiking or running, you should stay as close to the center of the path as possible to avoid those tall grasses and low-hanging branches. Even though it is hot outside, it is also recommended you wear long sleeves and long pants.
Above all, you should definitely wear a heavy coat of DEET-containing bug spray, concentration 20% or higher.
It seems the only real way to tick-off ticks is the chemical Permethrin.
OCCHD’s Public Health Protection Director Phil Maytubby explained, “You can spray it on just like you would an insect repellant on your skin. It’s just you’re going to put it on your clothes and let it dry.”
To learn more about tick bites and diseases, click here.
May 22nd, 2018
March 22nd, 2024
March 14th, 2024
February 9th, 2024
May 7th, 2024