County mounts campaign to exterminate Lyme disease

‘‘As our residents begin to spend more time outdoors – whether at our beautiful parks and trails, at sports events or enjoying their own backyard – we want to be sure they have information about Lyme disease and how they can protect themselves,” County Executive Isiah Leggett said in the statement.

Information about Lyme disease will be posted at county parks and trails and online at www.montgomerycountymd.gov⁄lymedisease.

Brochures will be available at libraries, recreation and regional service centers, summer camps and local sports leagues.

‘‘Park trails are among the most heavily used facilities in the county and we want to make sure that trail users are aware of how to protect themselves from ticks and Lyme disease, and recognize the symptoms in a timely way,” Mary Bradford, director of Montgomery County Parks, said in the statement. ‘‘Some of our own employees have been affected and we should do all we can to eradicate the problem.”

Symptoms of Lyme disease may include headache, muscle and joint aches, fever, fatigue and a ‘‘bull’s-eye” rash, and the disease can result in more serious problems such as heart disease if left untreated. To prevent infection, avoid tick-infested areas such as tall grass, walk in the center of mowed trails, wear light-colored clothing so ticks may be spotted more easily and apply appropriate amounts of tick repellent.