As the weather gets warmer, Chaffee County residents and visitors will head outdoors, increasing their chance of interacting with local wildlife and insects.
Animal related diseases (also called zoonotic diseases) are diseases that can be carried from animals or insects to humans.
An estimated 60% of known infectious diseases and up to 75% of new or emerging diseases are zoonotic in origin. In Colorado, cases of zoonotic diseases naturally ebb and flow based on factors like the weather, and animal populations. However, in general as our climate changes, we can expect to see an increase in zoonotic diseases in Colorado just like we are seeing across the world.
Chaffee County Public Health wants to ensure that all residents and visitors are able to safely enjoy the outdoors and are aware of some simple steps they can take to stay safe around animals and insects.
Here are some ways to protect yourself while outdoors:
- Do not touch dead animals or try to handle live animals.
- Keep pets away from dead animals. Pets should be kept up to date on vaccinations and
protected from fleas and ticks. Consider keeping pets out of your bed. - Stay on the trails. Check yourself and your pets for ticks after every hike.
- Consider wearing products containing DEET on skin and clothing and products containing
permethrin on clothing to protect against ticks. - Wear mosquito repellent and clothing to cover your skin when around mosquitoes.
- Avoid bites and scratches by animals. If bit by an animal, contact your doctor right away.
To reinforce this messaging, CCPH will be posting signs at popular local trailheads and open spaces informing the public about animal related diseases they may encounter in that area. They encourage the public to spend some time familiarizing themselves with the zoonotic diseases in our area so they can safely enjoy the outdoors.
