BREWSTER, NY—The start of peak tick season is fast approaching. Those pesky, little juvenile ticks, called “nymphs,” are most active from the middle of May to mid-August. But it is never too early for Putnam residents and visitors to the area to start thinking about how to best protect themselves since ticks live through the winter and can bite all year-round. To learn everything you need to know about tick-borne disease prevention, the Putnam County Department of Health has launched a new tick-dedicated webpage, complete with easy-to understand videos in English and Spanish, along with advice from the county’s epidemiologist Alison Kaufman, DVM, MPH.

            “Putnam County, as many people know, has a high incidence of Lyme disease, along with the other two most commonly diagnosed tick-borne illnesses, anaplasmosis and babesiosis,” explained Dr. Kaufman, who previously worked at the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health and developed a specialization in tick-borne illnesses, before moving to the New York State Department of Health the year before the start of the COVID pandemic. “Most cases of tick-borne disease occur from late spring to mid-summer when people spend more time outdoors and ticks are in their nymph stage of life. Then they are very small and easily go unnoticed. There are a lot of ticks in Putnam County, but there are several strategies people can use to reduce risk for tick bites and tick-borne disease. It’s also crucial to be familiar with potential symptoms to be able to recognize and seek treatment for disease early.”

            The website, https://putnamcountyny.com/health/tickborne, features a 15-minute video narrated by Dr. Kaufman, that opens with a four-and-a-half-minute overview of tick-borne disease in Putnam and the U.S. It then delves into an examination of seven prevention strategies including: know the high-risk season; avoid places where ticks live whenever possible; wear protective clothing; use repellents; check for ticks frequently; remove ticks quickly and correctly and recognize disease early to promptly visit a healthcare provider.

One way to further increase protection is to treat clothing and outdoor gear with permethrin, to ward off ticks, mosquitoes, and other insects. Even in the summer, when it may be too uncomfortable to wear long pants and sleeves, wearing permethrin treated shoes and socks can significantly lower risk for tick bites. Permethrin can be purchased as a spray and applied to clothing at home. Once applied it will last through a number of washings. Another option is to purchase clothing pre-treated with permethrin from a reputable source. InsectShield manufactures a variety of clothing items that can be purchased online or at some sporting goods stores. The permethrin in these items last though 70 washings, which is close to the life of the clothing itself.

            “Learning about tick bite prevention and taking a proactive approach can go a long way to preventing the diseases ticks can carry,” said Michael J. Nesheiwat, MD, interim health commissioner for Putnam County. “We are continuing to see increases in these diseases in our area even as the geographic range of ticks spreads across New York State. Our health department encourages everyone to become more informed and our website is a good place to start.”

The mission of the Putnam County Department of Health is to improve and protect the health of the Putnam County community. The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB), serves a community composed of nearly 100,000 residents. Core services are provided through a lens of equity, and include community health assessment, disease surveillance and control, emergency preparedness, environmental health protection, family health promotion and health education. For more information, please visit the County website at www.putnamcountyny.com, or visit our social media sites on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram @PutnamHealthNY.