Diseases

An adult female deer tick.

NPS Photo / Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Tick-Borne Disease
Ticks are found in many parts of the United States, especially in the northeast region of the country. They tend to live in wooded, bushy, and grassy areas. Ticks can carry bacteria and viruses, and can transmit disease (commonly Lyme disease) to humans and animals through direct skin bites.
bites Tick-born illness can be prevented by reducing exposure during their most active months (April-September) and removing ticks from skin as quickly as possible. Some other preventative tips include:

• Avoid wooded/brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
• Thoroughly inspect your body, clothing, and pets for ticks after recreating in wooded or brushy areas.
• Bathe within two hours to wash ticks off of your skin before they bite.

For more information about tick-born disease, how to prevent infection, and how to find and remove a tick, visit the National Park Service Tick-Born Disease webpage.

West Nile Virus

Mosquitoes contract West Nile Virus (WNV) after biting infected birds. There is no vaccine and no specific treatment, medication or cure. Most people who become infected have no symptoms. When symptoms do show - usually 3 to 15 days following the bite of an infected mosquito - they range from fever, aches and rashes to meningitis and encephalitis.

Some guidance to prevent the contraction of WNV include:

• Wear light colored clothing, long sleeved shirts and long pants.
• Spray an insect repellent containing DEET on top of clothing and exposed skin.
• Avoid being outside during mosquitoes' prime feeding times of dawn and dusk.
• Empty outdoor containers that fill with water often. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in pools of stagnant water.

For more information, consult this National Park Service WNV Fact Sheet.

Rabies

Although rabies is controlled among domestic animals it is not easily controlled in the wild. Major carriers of rabies in the wild are racoon, fox, skunk and opossum. These animals are fairly nocturnal. Signs of rabies infection may show as animals appearing in open areas during daytime acting disoriented, lethargic or agitated. The best way to help control rabies is to report any odd behavior seen in wild animals to your local animal welfare agency.

Another way to help control the spread of rabies is to keep domestic pets on a leash when they are outdoors. Letting them roam freely through natural areas or parkland raises the possibility of an encounter with a rabies infected animal. Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts states in it's Park Compendium that all domestic animals brought into the park must be on a leash.
For more information about signs/symptoms, prevention, and control, visit the National Park Service Rabies webpage.