MEDINA COUNTY, Ohio — As the weather warms up, health departments across the state are keeping an eye on ticks as more Lyme disease cases are being reported in Ohio.
"Definitely keep an eye on everything, especially having pets at home. It’s nice to just make sure we don’t come home with any problems,” said Katie Stallard.
Even though being outside can sometimes bring some unexpected guests, Stallard said Monday’s warm, sunny weather makes it worthwhile.
"We love it out here. Great excuse to get everybody out of the house,” said Stallard.
Before leaving Buckeye Woods Park in Medina County, Stallard and Robyn Tresch told News 5 they didn’t run into any ticks.
Still, they realize those small, yet mighty critters have been waiting to spring back into action.
"You worry about Lyme disease, especially with the little one. I worry that she gets one and then she gets sick or something bad happens to her, or I have one that I don’t know where it is,” said Tresch. “I am staying on the path as much as possible. I am making sure to check my ankles and my hair because I know that that can be a hot spot, and wearing a hat.”
Last week, News 5 spoke with an Ashtabula County health expert who told us that ticks are a growing concern across the state, which is leading to a dramatic rise in Lyme disease cases.
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Last year, we had 28 in Medina County,” said Medina County Deputy Health Commissioner Colin Johnson.
Johnson said the Medina County Health Department has received more calls than usual from people reporting tick sightings.
At this time, he said it’s too early in the season to tell how big a problem ticks will be.
But he believes most of them may have been American Dog Ticks, so health experts will continue working with the state to keep an eye on them.
"We send a picture down to the state, and the state identifies what type of ticks, the potential diseases that they can carry and the symptoms to watch out for, especially if it was engorged or partially engorged on someone,” said Johnson.
When outside, Johnson said you should avoid tall, bushy areas, wear bug spray and light-colored clothing such as pants and long-sleeve shirts.
If you do have to remove a tick, Johnson said mark the date and watch out for symptoms like fever, chills, headache and body aches.
"Most of them have a rash component to it as well. The one with Lyme disease, one of the telltale signs is a bull’s eye rash, but not everybody gets that, so any type of rash, you would call your primary care,” said Johnson.
