CDC promotes caution due to unusually high tick bite numbers – WJAR

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by DEVIN BATES, NBC 10 NEWS
NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WJAR) — Tick season has arrived, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been an unusually high number of ER visits for tick bites throughout the U.S. and particularly in the Northeast.
The weekly rate of ER visits for tick bites are the highest for this time of year since 2017, so it's never too early to be cautious.
"I certainly make sure that I wear the right clothing, you know, wear pants and always check when I get back to the house to make sure I don't have anything on me," said Joseph Tevyaw. "I know people who have gotten Lyme disease from ticks."
Tevyaw was one of many people out for an evening stroll at the John H. Chafee Nature Preserve in North Kingstown Sunday evening.
In Rhode Island, South County in particular tends to be where ticks can gather in large numbers throughout the spring and summer.
In nearby Connecticut, researchers at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station have also been getting an unusually high number of tick samples submitted, and more than 40 percent of them have tested positive for causative agent of Lyme disease.
Lucas Streit was out walking his dog along the beach, and said he's also noticed the uptick.
"I just got Monty here this spring, and I've actually seen at least one tick on like every hike we've done," Streit said.
Ticks can often be found on ankle-level vegetation, so if you're hiking, you should try to walk in the middle of the trail, and wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
You should also be checking yourself afterwards, making sure you don't squeeze the tick.
As anyone who has had Lyme disease will tell you, it's not an easy road to recovery.
"I've had Lyme disease, after about a month, I had Bell's palsy, headaches," said Lauren Vites. "So yeah, we've had plenty of ticks on us before."
For more information and resources on preventing tick bites, visit the CDC website.
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