Tick Disease On The Rise In MetroWest, Health Officials Say

SUDBURY, MA — You might be relatively safe from coronavirus outdoors, but there are still health threats lurking in forests and parks across the area.

The Sudbury Board of Health on Wednesday reported a marked rise in tick-born diseases in the area. Specifically, there has been an increase in anaplasmosis, Lyme disease and babesiosis. Symptoms of those diseases can include fever, chills, and muscle aches. In the case of Lyme disease, a signature bullseye rash may occur along with symptoms.

Tick season typically lasts from early spring well into autumn, but ticks can remain active in wintertime if temperatures are mild enough. Ticks can latch on to humans and pets wherever there's tall grass or vegetation. The deer tick, the most common species in Massachusetts, can be as small as a poppy seed.

Here are some tips on preventing tick disease from the Subdury Board of Health:

• Be aware of wooded areas with high grasses or leaf piles (where ticks hide)
• Walk in the center of trails
• Wear tick repellent containing DEET of at least 30 percent or clothes treated with permethrin
• When returning home after having been outdoors, bathe or shower as soon as possible to wash off or find ticks crawling on you
• Do a tick check after spending time outdoors (don’t forget your pets)
• Call your health care provider immediately after a tick bite to discuss exposure and treatment.
• Use the UMass tick test program (on hiatus until at least June 19)