As residents head outdoors this summer, Montgomery County Chief Health Officer Dr. Kisha Davis is urging people to be vigilant about ticks, citing an increase in tick activity and related emergency room visits across Maryland and the Northeast.
“One thing I want folks to really be mindful of this year is ticks,” Davis said. “We have seen an increase in ticks this year. We don’t know why, if it’s just a cyclical thing, if it’s something about the weather.”
Dr. Davis said ticks emerged earlier than usual this season and appear to be increasing again after a brief decline. Residents are encouraged to continue enjoying outdoor activities while taking precautions.
“I still want people to go outside and play and interact with nature,” she said. “But when you go out, make sure that you are trying to cover up, especially around ankles and wrists — and wear bug repellent to help protect.”
After spending time outdoors, residents should check themselves, children and pets for ticks. If a tick is found, it should be removed with fine-tipped tweezers.
“Don’t try to smother it with Vaseline. Don’t try to burn it out,” Davis said. “That actually causes the tick to release more saliva into you.”
The family physician noted that while her office is reviewing the increase in county ER visits related to ticks, they have not yet reviewed recent Lyme disease data.
The warning comes as federal health officials report a surge in tick-related emergency room visits nationwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, emergency department visits for tick bites in the Northeast reached 229 visits per 100,000 emergency room visits in June 2025.
The CDC said this region, which includes Maryland, experienced its highest summer spike in tick-related visits in at least 5 years.
Sun, hydration and exhaustion
The Health Officer also encouraged residents to take steps to protect themselves from summer heat and sun exposure as temperatures rise.
“Make sure we’re getting that sunscreen on as we’re getting more warm days, staying well-hydrated when we’re outside.” We want people out being active, running, playing, biking, all of those things. Make sure you’re not getting dehydrated and know those signs of heatstroke and exhaustion.” said Dr. Davis to MCM News.
The CDC also recommends staying cool, staying hydrated and knowing the symptoms.
Summer travel and Ebola
Davis also sought to reassure residents about concerns surrounding the Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa, saying the risk to Montgomery County remains low.
“I don’t think that residents need to be very concerned about their risk of contracting Ebola.”
Travelers from affected countries, including Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, are being routed through designated airports.
Davis added that Ebola spreads differently than COVID-19 and generally requires close contact with someone who is visibly ill.
“For Ebola to spread, somebody has to be very sick, it would not be somebody with just a mild cough or a mild fever.”
As summer activities ramp up, health officials are encouraging residents to take simple precautions, from checking for ticks and staying hydrated to protecting themselves from excessive sun exposure.
