The Pennsylvania Department of Health has launched a new online dashboard to help residents and healthcare providers learn more about tickborne diseases, such as Lyme disease, and where ticks are prevalent statewide. The dashboard allows users to review current data on tickborne disease-related cases in Pennsylvania to help them better prepare for outdoor activities.
The data includes case counts per 100,000 residents per county. Lyme disease is the most common tickborne illness in Pennsylvania and many other states, but other diseases are also transmitted by ticks. In 2022, Pennsylvania ranked ninth nationwide for the number of Lyme disease cases reported by population, with over 8,400 cases reported (representing an incidence of 64.9/100,000).
Many individuals are exposed to ticks during the warmer summer months, when recreation brings more people into contact with the insects.
Individuals who frequent wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter are at greatest risk of tick exposure, according to experts.
The following are recommendations for reducing the likelihood that a tick will attach itself to one’s skin:
- Walking in the center of trails
- Use EPA-approved insect repellent on exposed skin
- Use products containing 0.5 percent permethrin to pre-treat shoes, clothing and outdoor gear
- Wear light-colored clothing, which makes it easier to spot ticks
- Conduct full body tick checks of people and pets after spending time in tick habitats
- Bathe or shower within two hours of coming indoors
- Place clothing worn outdoors in the dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks that may be trapped in its folds
If a tick has attached itself to a person, it should be removed promptly using fine-tipped tweezers. Experts advise grasping the tick with the tweezers as close to the skin’s surface as possible and pulling upward using steady, even pressure. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s directions for tick removal are available online.
Find the new Pennsylvania Tickborne Disease Dashboard and more information on tickborne diseases on the Department of Health’s website.
This local news story was reported with generative AI assistance.