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With warm weather and afternoon showers come mosquitoes and ticks.

For many, the pesky bugs are just a nuisance. However, they also carry diseases that can cause sickness, paralysis and even death.

This May, the divisions of Public Health and Environmental Health are teaming up to encourage all North Carolinians to protect themselves against ticks and mosquitoes and the illnesses they can carry. This month is Tick and Mosquito Awareness Month, and it is important to know how to protect and prevent tick and mosquito bites.

Last year, North Carolina reported more than 390 cases of tick-borne diseases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It has led the nation in cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted fever – a disease transmitted to people by ticks. There were also cases of Lyme disease and ehrlichiosis. Mosquitoes can transmit diseases like La Crosse virus, Eastern equine encephalitis and West Nile virus.

This is the time to take action to prevent mosquitoes and ticks from breeding in your backyards. To prevent the pests from breeding, keep grass short, remove containers that hold water and  plants that attract wild animals such as deer and rodents.

It is also important to protect yourself and your family when you outside enjoying North Carolina’s warm weather. Insect repellant is useful, particularly against mosquitoes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend several repellents against mosquitoes – DEET, picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus. Repellents containing permethrin provide excellent protection against ticks but may only be used on clothing. Consumers should look for products that contain the CDC-recommended ingredients, and should read and follow all label instructions.

Exposure to both mosquitoes and ticks can be limited by wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks. People should also check themselves and their families for ticks when they are in tick-prone areas.

For additional information on mosquitoes and ticks, visit the following websites: www.deh.enr.state.nc.us/phpm, www.epi.state.nc.us/epi/arbovirus and www.epi.state.nc.us/epi/tick.

As we celebrate the Thanksgiving season, it is important to practice safe food preparation measures when preparing holiday meals. This is a time for good food and fellowship, so you don’t want it marred by food-borne illness.

There are five main tips to remember when preparing food for family and friends: clean, separate, cook, chill and discard. Be sure to wash your hands and cutting surfaces with soap and water often as bacteria can spread from knives, cutting boards and hands. Separate raw and cooked or ready-to-eat foods to prevent the spread of bacteria during preparation and serving. Cooking foods to a high enough temperature for a long enough time will kill harmful bacteria and prevent food-borne illness especially for raw meats, poultry and shellfish. Use a food thermometer when cooking meats and poultry to ensure they reach proper temperatures. Chill or refrigerate leftover foods within two hours. Finally, it is important to discard food left out at room temperature for more than four hours.

If you develop symptoms of food-borne illness such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or fever, contact your health care provider or local health department. Very young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems have an increased risk of developing serious illness, and should visit a health care provider immediately if they develop these symptoms.

For more food preparation tips and tricks for cooking a turkey, go to www.foodsafety.gov. Most companies that produce turkeys also have turkey tip hotlines that provide help for storing, thawing and cooking turkeys.

It’s time for the nice, relaxing summer swim season. As you gear up to dive in, I want to remind you about key steps you can take to prevent water illnesses as part of national Recreational Water Illness Prevention Week.

Being aware of recreational water illnesses and practicing healthy swimming behaviors will go a long way in stopping the transmission of these illnesses. Infectious germs on and in swimmers’ bodies can end up in recreational waters, which can make other people sick.

To avoid water-borne illnesses in both pools and natural waters in coastal and inland areas, follow these simple tips. Do not swim or allow children to swim if you or they have diarrhea. Avoid swallowing pool water or getting pool water in your mouth. Shower before swimming. Wash your hands after using the toilet or changing diapers. Place tight-fitting swim diapers on children. Check diapers before entering the water. Take children on bathroom breaks. Change children’s diapers often and in a bathroom, not at the poolside.

For more information about Recreational Water Illness Prevention Week and healthy swimming, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Web site at: www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming. For North Carolina specific information, visit www.deh.enr.state.nc.us/ehs/pti_healthyswimming.htm, or contact the N.C. Division of Environmental Health at (919) 733-2884.