Exercise caution during tick season

If the thought of creepy crawlies sends shivers down your spine, fair warning: Tick season is upon us.According to a report by Ohio's Country Journal, experts are seeing a shift in the number and species of ticks here; and many bring health concerns with them. "We're seeing changes in the distribution of a lot of medically important tick species," Risa Pesapane, an associate professor in ecosystem and wildlife health at Ohio State University told the Country Journal. "We have had new ticks arriving in the state of Ohio and becoming established here." Sure, there's the usual American dog tick; but now we've got black-legged ticks, lone star ticks, Gulf Coast ticks and the Asian longhorn tick. Pesapane said the Asian longhorn ticks will be expected all along the Ohio River this summer. Timothy McDermott, DVM, assistant professor and extension educator from Ohio State University, told the Country Journal the Asian longhorn tick can reproduce without breeding. One female can create an infestation. "This tick can breed in tremendous numbers within a pasture or on an animal," McDermott said. "We've actually had livestock mortality from just overwhelming numbers of ticks feeding on cattle," McDermott said, as he talked about an example in Monroe where two cows and a bull died due to acute blood loss from heavy tick loads. So what do we do about it? Wear long sleeves and pants, with shirts tucked into pants and pants tucked into socks. Wear light colored clothing, and consider whether clothing treated with anti-tick chemicals is right for you. Choose an effective tick repellant and apply it to exposed skin and clothing before heading out. Pay attention if you are in the woods, grassy areas and leaf litter — if you are on a trail, stay in the middle. And when you get home, check yourself and your pets. (Tick preventive medicine may be right for your pets). Remember ticks like to hide in warm crevices, so be thorough. Check your clothes, backpacks, boots and such, too. Take a shower, wash your clothes and if you find an embedded tick, do your best to remove it. Finally, if you've been in tick habitat and begin to experience symptoms of tick-borne illnesses, get to the doctor. Don't wait.We've got lots of reasons to be careful while outdoors in summer. But just as sunscreen has become a habit for many of us, tick prevention must as well. They're not just creepy, they're dangerous; and a little prevention now can mean a much happier summer later. OGDEN NEWSPAPERS