​Doctor Warns: Deer Season is Back in New Canaan

From New Canaan Deer Committee: Deer ticks return to our landscape as soon as the temperature rises above freezing warns Dr. Michael F. Parry, Director of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology at Stamford Hospital. They are expected to be more prevalent than ever this season due to the unusually warm winter. These ticks are found where white-footed mice and deer are active which now includes most suburbs as well as wooded areas. The ticks distributed by these hosts often cling to the tips of grass and leaves enabling them to crawl directly onto the fur or skin of a passing future host which could be YOU.

These tiny creatures are best known for carrying Lyme disease, but according to Dr. Parry there are many other diseases for which they are responsible. They include Babesiosis which affects red blood cells, Anaplasmosis which affects white blood cells and multiple viruses which may affect the nervous system, heart or joints, some of which could be life-threatening.

If you venture outdoors in an area where ticks may be present Dr. Parry suggests wearing light colored clothing that covers the entire body. Once a tick is on your body it typically crawls upward to dark, moist areas such as the upper thighs, armpits, buttocks or hairline. They are difficult to see and once bitten, there is not always a bull’s-eye rash. The bite does not hurt or itch. The New Canaan Deer Committee recommends that you check yourself carefully after an outdoor excursion in tick country.

Photo courtesy of New Canaan Deer Committee