HILLSBORO, Ohio — The Highland County Health Department is handing out free tick-removal kits and insect-repellent wipes at three sites across the county, part of a summer push to help residents guard against tickborne and mosquito-borne illness.
The items are available at no cost at the health department’s office, the Rocky Fork Visitor Center and the Highland Nature Sanctuary, the department said in a social media post. They are offered first come, first served and while supplies last.
Photos shared by the department show the kits include insect-repellent towelettes, plastic tick-removal tools and a pocket-sized Ohio tick identification card that helps residents tell apart the species found in the state.
“The best protection against vector borne disease is prevention,” the health department said, urging residents to use an EPA-approved insect repellent and to check themselves for ticks after spending time outdoors.
Ohio is home to several tick species that can spread disease, including the blacklegged, or deer, tick, the American dog tick and the lone star tick. Bites from the lone star tick have been linked to alpha-gal syndrome, a potentially serious allergy to red meat and other products made from mammals. Mosquitoes in the state can carry West Nile virus.
Public health agencies say ticks are most active in the warm months and recommend wearing long sleeves and pants outdoors, staying on trails, using repellent and promptly removing any attached tick to lower the risk of infection.
The Highland County Health Department, based in Hillsboro, provides public health services throughout the county.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Highland County Health Department.
