According to a release sent out Thursday, tick populations are growing in the County and the percentage of ticks that are infected with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease is also increasing.

As a result the Chautauqua County Department of Health and Human Services is advising residents and visitors to prevent tick bites, check for and properly remove ticks, and understand the symptoms for Lyme disease.

Lyme disease is spread to humans through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick, also known as a “deer tick.”  It is spread when an infected tick bites a person and remains attached for 36 hours or more.

Results from 2017 testing by state health officials showed that in specific areas of Chautauqua County, the rate of ticks infected with Lyme disease bacteria is as high as 54 percent. In some cases, the percentage of ticks that tested positive for the bacteria doubled in just one year.

County Director of Environmental Health Services Mark Stow says the risk of human infection is greatest in late spring and summer, due to the blacklegged tick’s life cycle. He adds that tick populations vary widely with some areas teaming with ticks while other areas have virtually no ticks.

Your best protection against Lyme disease is to avoid contact with ticks by avoiding soil, leaf litter and vegetation. However, if you garden, hike, camp, hunt, work or otherwise spend time in the outdoors, you can still protect yourself:

• Wear light-colored clothing with a tight weave to spot ticks easily.
• Wear enclosed shoes, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Tuck pant legs into socks or boots and shirts into pants.
• Check clothes and any exposed skin frequently for ticks while outdoors.
• Consider using insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Follow the label directions when using repellents and apply in small amounts, avoiding contact with the eyes, nose or mouth. For more information on repellents visit https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/2749/
• Stay on cleared, well-traveled trails. Walk in the center of trails. Avoid dense woods and bushy areas.
• Avoid sitting directly on the ground or on stone walls.
• Keep long hair tied back, especially when gardening.
• Bathe or shower as soon as possible after going indoors (preferably within two hours) to wash off and more easily find ticks that may be on you.
• Do a final, full-body tick check at the end of the day (also check children and pets), and remove ticks promptly. Be aware that a nymphal deer ticks is about the size of a poppyseed, and an adult is roughly the size of a sesame seed.

For more information, including how to safelty remove ticks, go to www.health.ny.gov  or contact the Environmental Health Division at 1-800-604-6789.

That includes nine new germs spread by mosquitoes and ticks that were discovered between 2004 and 2016.

And even though there has been a marked increase in transmitted diseases, the number being reported may actually be lower than the actual cases that are out there because many infections are not reported or recognized.

The most common diseases caused by mosquito, tick or flea bites are Lyme, West Nile, Zika, and dengue.

In Chautauqua County, health officials are continuing to monitor lyme disease, saying that the number of ticks carrying the disease is on the rise locally.

“The percentage of Lyme infected ticks collected in Chautauqua County continues to rise so resident should definitely take precautions when out on local trails/natural areas particularly in areas with large deer populations or trails frequented by deer,” explained Mark Stow, Chautauqua County Director of Environmental Health Services via an email to WRA.

Though the CDC stops short of suggesting that people cancel outdoor plans, health officials are emphasizing the increasing importance of EPA registered bug repellents to protect everyone — especially children — from outdoor pests.

The CDC also recommends doing the following to protect against mosquito, tick and flea bites:

• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants
• Treat items, such as boots, pants, socks and tents with permethrin or use permethrin-treated clothing and gear
• Take steps to control ticks and fleas on pets
• Find and remove ticks daily from family members and pets
• Take steps to control mosquitoes, ticks and fleas inside your home.

In a media release sent out on Thursday, the alliance said that mot all ticks can cause disease and not all bites will make you sick, but as these diseases become more common it’s important to learn how to prevent a bite, how to remove a tick and what to do if you think you could have a tick-borne disease.

According to county health director Christine Schuyler, The warm winter and recent temperature increase have set the stage for a flourishing tick population, so providing an update on Lyme disease, the most common tick related illness in our area, seems prudent. The risk of human infection with Lyme is greatest in late spring and summer, but ticks can be active any time the temperature is above freezing.

There are many different species of ticks but locally the most common is the Deer Tick (or black legged tick), which may be found in many types of settings such as woodlands, tree stumps, lawns and gardens, around stone walls, nature trails, outdoor summer camps, and playing fields.

To prevent tick-borne illness exposure while outdoors you and your family can do the following:

• Wear light-colored clothing with a tight weave to spot ticks easily.
• Wear enclosed shoes, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Tuck pant legs into socks or boots and shirt into pants.
• Check clothes and any exposed skin frequently while outdoors.
• Use insect repellent with 20-30% DEET. ⁽⁴⁾
• Stay on cleared, well-traveled trails. Avoid dense woods and busy areas.
• Avoid sitting directly on the ground or on stone walls.
• Keep long hair tied back, especially when gardening.
• Bathe or shower as soon as possible after going indoors (preferably within two hours) to wash off and more easily find ticks that may be on you.
• Do a final, full-body tick check at the end of the day (also check children and pets), and remove ticks promptly.

Additional prevention tips for homeowners to create a tick-free zone in your backyard to keep you, your family and pets safe from tick exposure:

• Keep grass mowed, along with clearing tall grasses and brush.
• Remove brush and leave around stonewalls and wood piles.
• Keep wood piles and bird feeders away from your home.
• Keep family dogs and cats out of wooded areas to reduce ticks brought into your home.
• Place swing sets, sand boxes, decks and patios in a sunny spot away from yard edges and trees.
• Place a 3-ft wide barrier of wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas and around patios and play equipment.

To learn more about ticks, Lyme disease, and other diseases ticks can spread visit www.Health.NY.gov.

The New York State Department of Health conducts tick surveillance across the state in an effort to reduce the spread of tick-borne disease.  Lyme disease and is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected black-legged tick.

Deer ticks live in shady, moist areas at ground level. They will cling to tall grass, brush and shrubs, usually no more than 18-24 inches off the ground. They also live in lawns and gardens, especially at the edges of woods and around old stone walls.  Once a tick gets on the skin, it generally climbs upward until it reaches a protected area.

Your best protection is to avoid contact with soil, leaf litter and vegetation. However, if you garden, hike, camp, hunt, work or otherwise spend time in the outdoors, you can still protect yourself:

• Wear light-colored clothing with a tight weave to spot ticks easily.
• Wear enclosed shoes, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Tuck pant legs into socks or boots and shirt into pants.
• Check clothes and any exposed skin frequently for ticks while outdoors.
• Consider using insect repellent.
• Stay on cleared, well-traveled trails. Walk in the center of trails. Avoid dense woods and bushy areas.
• Avoid sitting directly on the ground or on stone walls.
• Keep long hair tied back, especially when gardening.
• Bathe or shower as soon as possible after going indoors (preferably within two hours) to wash off and more easily find ticks that may be on you.
• Do a final, full-body tick check at the end of the day (also check children and pets), and remove ticks promptly.

For more information, visit www.health.ny.gov or call DHHS’ Environmental Health Division at 1-800-604-6789.

• NYS Website on Tick & Lyme Disease

A State Senate task force study cited 462 cases reported though the first week of June statewide and a recent estimate put the number of new cases nationwide at about 300-thousand annually.

Residents are reminded that if you’re going to be in grassy areas you should wear clothing that covers up your skin and also wear tick repellent whenever possible. Officials also say that if you should find a tick, as long as you remove it within the first 24 hours, it’s unlikely you’ll have anything to worry about.