PROVIDENCE – Due to the very wet spring, the R.I. Department of Health is advising schools and municipal officials to institute smart scheduling of outdoor activities this summer, in order to avoid mosquito bites and tick bites.
The agency recommends outdoor activities planned for dawn, dusk or evening be relocated or rescheduled.
“Ticks and mosquitoes can carry serious diseases [such as] West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or Lyme Disease,” said Dr. Michael Fine, the interim director who was nominated on June 22 by Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee to become the agency director. “These diseases can cause serious illness and even death. It has been a wet spring, so [we] anticipate that the mosquito population will increase this summer and fall.”
Fine recommended the following steps for protection.
For mosquitoes:
For ticks:
