Although summer is full of fun, it’s important to be prepared for ticks and knowledgeable about mosquitoes. Vermilion County Health Department Environmental Health Director Jana Messmore recently appeared with Laura Williams on 1490 WDAN’s Community Connection program. Messmore stated that the Illinois Department of Public Health has a new “tick drag program” that local health departments are participating in.
Messmore says the department is exploring all the county parks, and will be stopping at Kickapoo State Park as well, for some important information you should have before going out hiking on trails.
AUDIO: We actually go out and we have a (tick) drag. It’s made up of, basically, a huge piece of white felt. And then we’ll pull those ticks off, and send them in to the Illinois Department of Public Health. They will identify the ticks; and they’re doing some testing as well, just to test for some general diseases. And then they actually have a website, in which they’re reporting the different types of ticks.
To access those county by county tick reports from the IDPH, just go to the Vermilion County Health Department Facebook page.
Another thing the Health Department keeps their eyes on are possible West Nile Nirus levels in local mosquitoes, monitored with 20 mosquito traps around the county. Culex mosquitoes can transfer West Nile Virus to humans after biting an infected bird. Messmore says it’s important to protect yourself by wearing insect repellent and wearing long sleeves, especially during the peak mosquito times of dawn and dusk. Also remember to rid your home of standing water where Culex mosquitoes can breed; such as in birdbaths, gutters, and old tires.
Learn more at by going to the Vermilion County Health Department website at www.vchd.org.
To hear all of Laura Williams’ interview with Jana Messmore, please go to https://vermilioncountyfirst.com/the-community-connection/
