~Writing Well Wednesday Tip~
Getting out in nature is great for writers.
It’s not only good for your health, but it helps replenish your creative mind, too. So if you’re heading out this summer, enjoy—just watch out for this.
According to a recent report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of people diagnosed with diseases spread by mosquitoes and ticks has tripled in the U.S. over the past decade.
Back in 2004, there were about 27,000 cases, but in 2016, there were 96,000. The number of reported tickborne diseases alone more than doubled in 13 years and accounted for more than 60 percent of all reported mosquito-borne, tickborne, and fleaborne disease cases. Investigators even found seven new germs spread through the bite of an infected tick.
Scientists believe the numbers are going up because of climate change and warmer temperatures that allow these pests to spread and thrive in formerly cooler areas. Another factor is the increasing ease of global travel, with more people going to high-risk areas.
As for the specific diseases spread, they include the following.
From mosquitoes:
- Zika
- West Nile
- Dengue
From ticks:
- Lyme disease
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever
“The data show that we’re seeing a steady increase and spread of tickborne diseases, and an accelerating trend of mosquito-borne diseases introduced from other parts of the world,” said Lyle Petersen, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Division of Vector-Borne Diseases in the CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases.
What can you do to protect yourself? Take these steps:
- Use an insect repellent when you go out. “Consumer Reports” found in their tests that DEET and picaridin worked best. If you’re looking for a natural alternative, try lemon eucalyptus.
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
- Check yourself, family members, and pets for ticks at the end of the hike.
- Keep in mind that ticks like wooded areas and forests, and that mosquitoes are most active around dusk, and around still water.
Are you going hiking this summer?
Sources
CDC. (2018, May 1). Illnesses from Mosquito, Tick, and Flea Bites Increasing in the US. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2018/p0501-vs-vector-borne.html
Insect Repellent Buying Guide. (2017, July 19). Retrieved from https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/insect-repellent/buying-guide/index.htm
This is definitely the worst year ever for ticks. I’ve even noticed them congregating around the edges of my garage door 🙁
And yes, I always go hiking. I try to avoid too much bug spray, but do wear a hat and long sleeves. There is bug-repellent fabric, but its pricey as is good clothes that are quick-dry and breathable.
Ew! Wow, that’s clear evidence for you!