As summer continues, vector-borne diseases become more prevalent in Eastern NC. Lee Jenkins has more on Onslow County’s vector-borne disease season.
Long, hot days and summer showers provide the perfect breeding ground for ticks and mosquitoes, who in turn incubate diseases like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and West Nile Virus. Several probable cases of these diseases and others, like Lyme Disease and Eastern Equine Encephalitis, were reported during the spring and summer in Onslow County.
The Onslow County Health Department urges residents and visitors to protect themselves from these diseases by keeping their yards tidy and free of standing water, wearing long clothes and repellant outside, and regularly checking for bites and ticks. Residents planning on travelling abroad can receive vaccination and medication for less common illnesses at a clinic in the county. Symptoms of vector-borne diseases include fever, chills, aches, pains, or a rash. I’m Lee Jenkins.
