{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Radio Chatskill","title":"Springtime Brings Blooming Flowers — and Ticks: How to Stay Safe Outdoors ","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":718,"description":"Ellenville, NY — As spring returns to the Catskills and the Upper Delaware region, the warm weather invites residents and visitors outdoors. But it also brings back some unwelcome guests: ticks and mosquitoes. These small pests carry serious health risks, including Lyme disease and other vector-borne illnesses that are becoming more common across the region.Dave Williams, an emergency room clinician at Ellenville Regional Hospital, joined a local broadcast this week to discuss what to expect this season, how to protect yourself and your family, and when to seek medical help.“We’re well into tick season now,” Williams said. “In the ER, we’re seeing an uptick in patients coming in with tick bites, rashes, and symptoms of Lyme disease or anaplasmosis. These diseases are real and increasingly common.”Why Spring Is Peak SeasonTicks become especially active in spring and early summer, particularly the black-legged deer tick, which transmits Lyme disease and anaplasmosis. Many ticks that didn't feed in the fall become aggressive in the spring, and a single female can lay up to 3,000 eggs.Mosquito activity also rises with increased rainfall, which leads to more standing water — the perfect breeding ground.“Wet springs make things worse,” Williams explained. “Mosquitoes thrive in stagnant water, and ticks love moist, shaded areas like leaf litter or tall grass.”What to Watch ForEarly symptoms of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses can be deceptively mild — and easy to dismiss.“It often looks like a summer cold,” said Williams. “Fever, body aches, fatigue. Only about a third of Lyme patients get the telltale rash, so it’s easy to miss.”Symptoms typically appear 7 to 10 days after a bite. If left untreated, Lyme can progress to more serious complications, such as joint swelling, neurological symptoms, or even Lyme carditis, which affects the heart.Williams emphasized that if symptoms linger — especially fatigue, aches, or fever — it’s important to seek care.Pets and...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/q7XXsnSXT_u4mZLCn3chUorwDmUD_kWiB272D6emB18/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS80N2Uy/OGY5MWUwZThkYTEw/NDVkZGM2ZGZkZDIw/ZjliOS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}