Alexandria health officials issue warnings about ticks as weather warms up

Alexandria health officials issue warnings about ticks as weather warms up

With temperatures finally on the rise, health experts are sounding the alarm tonight that tick season is once again upon us. FOX 5’s Sydney Persing is live in Alexandria now, where the health department is issuing a warning and advising on how to both avoid and deal with ticks.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - With temperatures finally on the rise, health experts are sounding the alarm tonight that tick season is once again upon us.

In Alexandria, the health department is issuing a warning and advising on how to both avoid and deal with ticks. 

The warning:

New signs are up now reminding park patrons of the importance of checking for ticks and how to do it the right way.

Tick season generally runs from April through October, and this season health experts really want folks to pay close attention to it.

According to Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the annual number of tickborne disease cases has more than doubled in the United States in the past two decades.

While ticks are tiny and easy to miss, they can cause Lyme disease, among other illnesses that can really leave long-term impacts on your health. 

They’re often found in grassy, wooded areas, and if you’ve ever experienced a tick bite or your pet has, you know what a problem they can be.

"Sometimes when I pet him, I feel a weird lump, then i end up searching it’s a little critter," Fredy Peralta, an Alexandria resident. "Especially if they don’t have their vaccine, they can get very sick, trips are very expensive to the vet." 

Unfortunately, not everyone is so lucky.

Dig deeper:

In Alexandria, the health department has partnered with the Department of Recreation, parks and cultural activities to put out this tick prevention campaign.

i want you to hear now from eve elliot with the Alexandria Health Department.

"If you’re trying to remove a tick you want to get the head," Eve Elliot, Alexandria Health Department. "Because that’s where they can keep passing illness to you." 

"We have seen an increase in Lyme disease in Virginia from about 2020 trending upward," Elliot added. "It is serious these illnesses can cause longer-term health impacts." 

County officials are hosting four events to educate folks about ticks and their diseases from April through June. They’ll also be handing out free tick remover tools.

You can find those dates and locations on the county's website.