Ticks, Fowl and Enterovirus, Oh My

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Ticks, Fowl and Enterovirus, Oh My

In the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy learns that there's no place like home. Northern Virginia is a great place to call home but there are always a few health risks lurking.

Hiking and camping are fun fall activities but you need to be aware that adult-stage deer ticks are active this time of year. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Virginia is in the endemic region where most infections occur nationally. A bite from a deer tick transmits the bacteria that cause Lyme disease.

While enjoying nature, protect yourself by using an insect repellent with 20 percent to 30 percent DEET and check yourself for ticks. Signs and symptoms of an infection include a “bulls-eye” rash, fatigue, chills, fever, headache, muscle and joint aches and swollen lymph nodes. It is important to get treatment right away.

Northern Virginia is progressive when it comes to back yard chicken coops but it is still important to take basic food safety precautions. Virginia, in fact, is the fourth highest in the nation for cases of Salmonella infections. The Salmonella bacterium is one of the most common causes of food poisoning.

Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps, vomiting. Symptoms usually last five to seven days and most people get better without treatment. Salmonella is often harder on older adults and antibiotics may be necessary if the infection spreads from the intestines to the blood stream. Proper handling and cooking of food is the best way to prevent infections.

Luckily we haven't had many cases of the respiratory enterovirus known as EV-D68 but the virus is still active across the nation.

The virus symptoms are sneaky , they mimic severe colds, allergies and asthma, and are hitting asthmatics especially hard. Wheezing is the biggest indicator that children are suffering from the EV-D68 virus.

Children under the age of five and those with asthma are at the highest risk for this particular virus. Seek the advice of a doctor if symptoms persist or breathing is particularly difficult.

Dorothy was right, there is no place like home. Don't let the threat of bacterial and viral infections keep you from enjoying all that Northern Virginia has to offer. The best way to stay healthy is to stay informed and take basic precautions.