One of the great things about living in Morgantown is the endless nature right outside your door. Just a short walk away, you have mountains and forests, and when you hike at Coopers Rock on the weekends, the air is fresh, and you really get to enjoy what it means to live in West Virginia. At first, I thought I was all set for hiking with just my sneakers and a bottle of water.

Ticks? I figured they would be around. I thought of them as just another bug, like the ones you find in grassy areas in Korea.

But after looking at research data from WVU, my perspective completely changed. West Virginia has a Lyme disease incidence rate exceeding 100 cases per 100,000 residents.

That's quite high even by U.S. standards. This isn't just something you can brush off as "there are a few ticks in the mountains."

In a study conducted in north-central West Virginia from 2018 to 2023, 1,684 adult ticks were collected, with 58.5% belonging to the Ixodes genus, which is associated with Lyme disease. Dermacentor made up 31.6%, and Haemaphysalis accounted for 8.7%, with other species also found.

I realized I had been wandering around in shorts all this time.

Especially concerning is that Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through ticks carrying the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. While not everyone who gets bitten will be infected, the longer a tick is attached, the greater the risk, so it's crucial to detect and remove them quickly.

These days, you also need to be aware of alpha-gal syndrome. This condition can cause severe allergic reactions to mammal meat, like beef or pork, after being bitten by certain ticks. At first, it sounds unbelievable, but I was surprised to learn that a single tick bite could lead to issues with eating meat. There are also other tick-borne diseases like Anaplasmosis and Babesiosis.

What's even more concerning is that with winters becoming milder than before, the activity period and habitat range of ticks may change. So, it's not safe to assume, "It's winter, so it should be fine."

That said, I'm not suggesting we avoid the mountains out of fear. You can't come all the way to Morgantown and just stay indoors when there are beautiful forests to explore.

Now, I feel more comfortable bringing long pants when I go to the woods. Wearing light-colored clothing makes it easier to spot any ticks that might be attached, and I use insect repellent with DEET on exposed skin. It's also wise to avoid deliberately disturbing the underbrush.

More importantly, it's what you do after returning home. Make sure to check your body thoroughly while showering. Don't forget to check areas that are hard to see, like around your hair, behind your ears, under your arms, around your waist, in your groin, and behind your knees. If kids went with you, it's a good idea for parents to check them as well, and it's beneficial to develop a habit of checking your clothes and pets too.

If you find a tick attached, it's better to use tweezers to grasp it close to the skin and pull it out straight rather than trying to yank it off with your fingers. If you experience any unusual symptoms like fever or rash afterward, you should seek medical attention.

The forests around Morgantown are truly wonderful. We should go to Coopers Rock, walk along the river, and go camping with the kids. Just think of it as packing ticks along with your sunscreen in this area.

I now find myself looking for long pants and insect repellent before I even think about grabbing a water bottle when heading to the mountains. As I get older, I no longer see a bug as just a bug. Enjoy nature to the fullest, but make sure to check your whole body when you get home. In Morgantown, it's worth putting up with that little inconvenience.