Jeffco Issues Guidance For Insect, Animal-Borne Diseases

JEFFERSON COUNTY, CO — As Coloradans are busy planning summer barbecues, hiking trips and other outdoor activities, Jefferson County Public Health officials issued guidance Wednesday for preventing the transmission of diseases that are spread by insects and animals.

“Come spring and early summer, we’re all ready to get outside and enjoy everything Colorado has to offer," said Dave Volkel, environmental health specialist at Jefferson County Public Health.

"By following these tips, you can protect yourself from animal- and insect-borne diseases and get the most out of your outdoor activities. And, of course, if you think you may have a disease from the bite of an insect, see your healthcare provider right away."

Here is the agency's guidance for the most common diseases:

Rabies is a preventable viral disease most often transmitted through the bite or saliva of a rabid animal. When not treated, rabies can cause serious illness and is almost always fatal. It is important to take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones – furry friends included – against rabies. Rabies has been detected in most terrestrial wild animals and has been detected in unvaccinated cats and dogs in Colorado. Bats, skunks and raccoons test positive for rabies in Jefferson County every year, although any mammal can get rabies.

How to prevent rabies:

• Vaccinate all cats, dogs, ferrets, and valuable livestock against rabies. Keeping your pets up to date on their rabies vaccination will prevent them from acquiring the disease from wildlife, and thereby prevent possible transmission to your family or other people.
• Bats are found indoors every year so even your indoor cats, dogs, and ferrets should be vaccinated for rabies.
• If you clean up your pet after a known or suspect encounter with a wild animal you should cover all exposed skin with a long sleeve shirt and gloves and use a face mask to cover your mouth and nose and safety glasses to protect your eyes.
• If bitten or scratched by a stray domestic animal or any wild animals, you should wash the wound with soap and water and contact your doctor about beginning the rabies Post-Exposure Prophylaxis.
• Do not handle or feed wildlife, and leave young wild animals alone. If you think an animal is abandoned, call your local animal control or the Colorado Department of Wildlife.

West Nile Virus is spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes. West Nile Virus is found in Colorado every year. While most people have no symptoms at all, some people with the virus develop a fever, fatigue, headache, muscle and joint aches, which can progress to serious illness.

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How to prevent West Nile Virus

• Use an Environmental Protection Agency-registered insect repellent with an approved active ingredient, such as DEET. When used as directed, EPA-registered insect repellents are proven safe and effective, even for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
  • You should choose the concentration of DEET in your bug spray that best fits the amount of time you’ll be spending outside. For example, if you’ll be spending 5 hours outside, choose an insect repellent with 25 percent DEET. If you’ll be spending less than an hour and a half, choose 5 percent DEET, because it lasts up to 90 minutes. Always follow instructions carefully.
• You can use a product containing up to 30 percent DEET on any child over the age of 2 months of age, but don’t let them apply it themselves, and be sure everyone washes their hands well after application to prevent any of the insect repellent from getting in their eyes or mouths.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks to keep your skin protected from insects. If you spritz your clothing with insect repellent, too, you’ll increase how much it protects you. Plus, the more skin you cover, the more protection you have from the harmful UVA and UVB rays that cause skin cancer.
• Get rid of standing water and brush around your home. Even an aluminum can or a planter saucer can hold enough water for mosquitoes to lay their eggs. Dump standing water out routinely.

Other diseases to know about:

• Tularemia is a bacterial disease that is spread to humans through the bites of infected ticks and direct exposure to infected mammals. Tularemia is also spread through deer fly bites and through handling infected animal tissue, such as when hunting or skinning rabbits or when eating under-cooked meat of infected animals. The most common symptoms are fever, chills, headache, body aches and feeling tired, which can last up to several weeks. Highly contagious and potentially fatal, tularemia like plague usually can be treated effectively with specific antibiotics if diagnosed early.
• The bubonic plague is a bacterial disease that is spread by rodent fleas. People usually get plague from being bitten by a flea that is carrying the plague, or by handling an infected animal. Common symptoms are a sudden onset of severe discomfort, headache, chills, fever and pain in the lymph nodes. However, it’s important to note that plague cases are treatable in humans and household pets as long as caught early. While plague is rare in humans, we have seen cases in prairie dogs and squirrels in Jefferson County.
• Some mosquitoes can carry Zika, a virus that can be spread from mom to baby and cause birth defects. While the mosquitos that carry Zika do not live in Colorado, it’s important to protect yourself when traveling to areas like Mexico, the Caribbean and other areas of risk identified by the CDC. Symptoms of Zika are very similar to those of West Nile Virus.

>> More information about insect and animal-borne diseases and prevention in Jeffco can be found here.