Summer is upon us, and that means fun in the sun! As the days get hot and outdoor activities like swimming, fishing, and hiking heat up, it’s important to not only remember to have fun, but to also be safe. With each outdoor activity comes its risks, and hiking has quite a large one with Lyme Disease.

Lyme Disease is rather common throughout the United States, with more than 200,000 cases reported each year. It is transmitted when a person or animal comes into contact with a deer tick that is carrying the disease. The symptoms for Lyme Disease include a rash in a bullseye pattern, as well as flu-like symptoms such as fatigue and malaise, and joint pain. Deer ticks inhabit wooded areas with tall grass and lots of brush, making them a threat to hikers.

When hiking, it is advised to wear clothing that covers all of your skin and to tuck in shirts and pants into your socks whenever possible. Wearing lightly colored clothing can also help to spot ticks considering they’re dark colored. Although contradictory to what the great Robert Frost once wrote, please take the road more traveled, as going off of a trail increases an already high risk for coming in contact with an infected Deer Tick.

After a day of hiking and outdoor fun, please be sure to thoroughly check oneself, children, and pets for ticks. Once a tick attaches itself, it may be difficult to remove, as they are hardy creatures. To remove one, use tweezers to gently grab it near its head and pull without crushing the tick.

So, the next time you choose to participate in an outdoor activity in or near a wooded area keep the above in mind, as we are all at risk for Lyme Disease and the prevention of it is not a difficult task. Remember to be mindful of Lyme Disease and also remember to have fun.