Rabies is a very serious disease that affects animals and humans and can result in death if left untreated. Recognizing the dangers associated with rabies, the Delaware Public Health District works to protect the public from the threat of rabies. This is performed by monitoring bite/exposure events, investigating exposures, prohibiting wild/exotic animals in the Health District, and requiring residents to vaccinate their pets against rabies.

Ticks are carriers of a number of diseases that can affect humans, including Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. To prevent tick-borne disease, the Delaware Public Health District provides education and surveillance and responds to human disease occurrence. To aid residents in protection from ticks, the Health District provides the following advice in the acronym TICKS:  Treat clothing or skin with repellants; Inspect yourself, clothing and gear for ticks; Clean and disinfect any area where a tick was removed; Keep record of the date the tick was removed; and Shower or wash off as soon as possible after coming indoors.

Tick Identification Services

Did you know that only certain species of ticks can spread certain diseases?  A good first step when you find a tick attached to yourself or a family member after removing it safely is to have the tick identified.  DPHD can identify the species of tick and provide a helpful informational report that outlines your disease risk and what symptoms you should be watching for.

Delaware County residents can submit photos to have their tick identified using this form: https://arcg.is/05urr10.  DPHD strongly recommends saving the tick as some may need to be brought into the Health District to be viewed in person under a microscope to get an accurate ID. We will let you know ASAP if your tick is unidentifiable or if we would like to view it in person.

Often times when residents find a tick attached to themselves or a family member, they would like to get the tick tested.  The CDC actually recommends against using tick testing as a diagnostic tool as it isn’t an accurate representation of your risk of disease transmission.

• Laboratories that conduct tick testing are not required to have the high standards of quality control used by clinical diagnostic laboratories. Results of tick testing should not be used for treatment decisions.
• Positive results showing that the tick contains a disease-causing organism do not necessarily mean that you have been infected.
• Negative results can lead to false assurance. You may have been unknowingly bitten by a different tick that was infected.
• If you have been infected, you will probably develop symptoms before results of the tick test are available. If you do become ill, you should not wait for tick testing results before beginning appropriate treatment.

Instead you should identify the tick and seek medical attention if you experience any symptoms.  At this time, CDC does not recommend prophylactic antibiotics any time a person is bitten by a tick as Ohio is not highly endemic for Lyme.

While a pest, bed bugs have not been shown to spread disease; therefore, the Delaware Public Health District does not have regulations regarding bed bugs. However, the Health District believes in providing as many resources as possible to help residents who may have a concern. Staff are trained in prevention, identification, remediation and would be happy to talk about techniques that may help you.

If you would like us to help you identify a possible bed bug, please take a picture of it (preferably with a magnifying glass between the lens and the bug), and send the photo to eh@delawarehealth.org.

Annually, the Ohio Department of Agriculture performs activities to manage the population of gypsy moths in Ohio. These efforts are aimed at suppressing, slowing and eradicating the moths, depending on the zone. Treatment activities take place in planes flying around 200 feet above the treetops. More information on ODA’s Gypsy Moth program, including treatment areas and approximate dates, can be found here.