CINCINNATI — Millions of Americans will go camping and hiking over July Fourth weekend. It can be a great family time, but it may also increase your risk of getting bitten by ticks.
Tanner Cibula takes a hike every day and takes spending time in nature seriously, wearing proper clothing to avoid bites.
"If I'm going through a really, really bad tick-prone area, I'll tuck my pants into my socks, tuck my shirt into my waist to do whatever to mitigate getting ticks into my body," Cibula said.
Why tick-borne illnesses are becoming more common in our region and what you need to know to stay safe:
The Ohio Department of Health said 185 cases of Lyme disease have been reported in Hamilton County over the last 25 years.
Those cases are starting to increase.
"We used to see not hardly any cases and now we're seeing lots of cases of Lyme disease because the black-legged tick is in this area more now," Kim Wright, a supervisor epidemiologist at the Cincinnati Board of Health said.
Wright said the best advice is to wear light-colored clothing, use a natural repellent and check your kids, pets and yourself after being outdoors.
"I would even keep a pair of tweezers and something you can remove ticks with in your glove compartment of your car or with you," Wright said.
Cibula said he knows someone who was infected with Lyme disease.
"He was very sick for 10 days, he actually can't eat red meat anymore because he has an allergic reaction, I don't know the exact science of why that happens," Cibula said.
But Cibula said don't let the fear of ticks stop you from enjoying nature, just take precautions.
"Don't let it scare you in the outdoors because I think it's part of nature but there is ways to mitigate the risks for sure," Cibula said.
