ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- As Virginians head outdoors during warmer weather, an emergency medicine physician with Virginia Tech is spreading awareness about tick bite prevention and treatment.

In Virginia, common ticks -- like the blacklegged or deer tick, the lone star tick and the American dog tick -- carry diseases such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, among other possible dangers.

Emergency medicine physician Stephanie Lareau shared the following tips for Virginians to take before going outdoors: • “Apply repellents containing DEET (10-30%), picaridin (20%) or other EPA-approved active ingredients to exposed skin. Be sure to follow product instructions.” • “Treat clothing and gear such as tents with products containing 0.5% permethrin.” • “Light-colored c

See Full Page