It’s summertime, so it’s tick and mosquito season

You don’t feel well.
Your muscles ache, your head aches, you have a fever, and feel extraordinarily fatigued.
Right now, most of us would be inclined to start thinking that we have fallen victim to COVID-19 and it’s time to start a serious quarantine or even get to the hospital. But it could be that you’ve escaped the coronavirus and have instead contracted Lyme disease, which you could have acquired when you were in your backyard or on a remote trail, diligently avoiding strangers.
A resurgent coronavirus has given residents of Washington and Greene counties and the whole Pittsburgh region plenty to fret about. But the mild winter we enjoyed could have also set the stage for additional mosquitoes and ticks to spread across the landscape, according to April Hutcheson, director of communications for the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
“A hard winter will stop the life cycle of bugs,” Hutcheson explained.
Ticks, which are flat, oval, and don’t have wings, can carry a host of diseases, with the most prominent being Lyme disease. Estimates have it that 30,000 Americans contract Lyme disease every year, though those numbers are likely higher since Lyme disease is frequently misidentified and underreported. Some experts believe the number of annual cases might be as high as 300,000. Pennsylvania reports the most cases of Lyme disease in the United States, and last year there were a little more than 9,000 confirmed and probable cases of Lyme disease in the commonwealth.
Jan Lawrence of Canonsburg knows the toll Lyme disease can exact. She has been bitten by ticks twice in her life, and was tested for a host of other maladies before a test for Lyme disease “lit up,” she recalled.
“We can’t determine when I got it,” said Lawrence, a legal assistant. “I’ve been tested for everything under the sun.”
Lyme disease can lay dormant in the system for years, and flare up at various times, such as when someone is under stress. Lawrence said she experiences aches in her joints, while other people might have headaches or other types of discomfort.
Since many fun-in-the-sun activities that are part of summer have been curtailed or canceled, trails and woods provide an enticing opportunity to get outside and do so without encountering crowds. The state health department advises staying at the center of trails and avoiding high grass or leaf litter, using an insect repellant that contains 20% of the chemical DEET, wearing light-colored clothing, conducting full-body checks after being outside and bathing or showering within two hours of being outdoors.
“It’s important to remember that you don’t have to be in the woods,” Hutcheson said. “Even in your backyard, ticks and mosquitoes are there.”
While most of us typically shrug off mosquito bites, the tiny insects can carry malaria, yellow fever and dengue fever, among others. Last year in Pennsylvania there were seven reported cases of West Nile virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes bred in areas with standing water. Most people who are infected with West Nile don’t show symptoms, but those that do can come down with a fever, headache, body aches, experience vomiting or develop rashes.
The state health department suggests using insect repellant, particularly between dawn and dusk, reducing the amount of standing water around a house, and turning over plastic pools or wheelbarrows when they are not being used.
Between the threats of Lyme disease, West Nile virus and COVID-19, should Pennsylvanians pull their sheets up to their chins and hide until October? Hutcheson says no.
“The most important tool we have is knowledge,” she said.