IMPORTANT NOTE: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued an alert that tick-borne illnesses (such as Lyme disease) and disease from infected mosquitoes are on the rise, particularly in Connecticut.
We recommend these measures to protect yourself and still enjoy our beautiful, long-awaited summer:
- When hiking, wear long pants, long sleeves, shoes and socks, and tuck your pants into your socks to avoid any exposed skin around the ankles. Stay in the center of the trail, and avoid bushy areas, grasslands and downed logs.
- Wear a hat and a bandanna around your neck; if you have long hair, pull it back into a ponytail or braids.
- On exposed skin, use insect repellent with an active ingredient of either DEET; picaridin; IR3535; oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para-menthane-diol (PMD); or 2-undecanone.
- Spray closed shoes with the insecticide permethrin.
A single high dose of doxycycline within 24 hours after a tick bite can reduce the transmission of the spirochete from the tick to you. If you develop any flu-like symptoms or a red rash, please contact your physician.
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