Beware Of Ticks In Loudoun County: Officials

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA—Aside from being terribly annoying, ticks can cause debilitating ailments that manifest themselves in any number of ways—including one of the more obvious, Lyme disease. Toward that end, and partly because May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month in the county, the Loudoun Lyme Disease Commission is holding a public forum 7 p.m. May 30 at the Belmont Country Club, 19661 Belmont Manor Lane in Ashburn.

The featured speakers, according to a release, are Dr. John Aucott and Kirsten Honey, PhD, the immediate past chair and vice-chair, respectively, of the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group, created to serve as a federal advisory committee following congressional passage of the 21st Century Cures Act in 2016.

The committee's task was to review research efforts and help identify priorities related to tick-borne disease and to provide a report to Congress and the HHS Secretary every two years. The group's 2018 Report to Congress describes a potential path forward for addressing the spread of tick-borne diseases.

• Updates in epidemiology of tick-borne diseases in North America
• Gaps in understanding of tick-borne diseases
• Challenges for future policy and research

The event is free, but space is limited. Anyone interested in attending is asked to register in advance here.

Meanwhile, here are steps you can take to prevent tick-borne diseases, including:

• Checking for ticks and proper tick removal;
• Wearing light-colored clothing so that ticks are easier to see and remove;
• Tucking pant legs into socks or boots and tucking shirts into pants;
• Wearing long-sleeved shirts buttoned to the wrist;
• Taking a bath or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors; and
• Seeking medical evaluation if they notice a bull’s eye or other unusual rash, or if they display flu-like symptoms.