Outdoor Safety

Six tick species are known to bite humans in Vermont, and five can transmit diseases. But nearly all tickborne diseases reported to the Health Department are caused by the blacklegged tick.

Gun violence affects the lives of many Vermonters each year. Firearm-related injuries and deaths are preventable and we can all play a role in creating safer communities.

Reports of tickborne diseases are on the rise in the U.S. and Vermont. States in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Upper Midwest have the highest incidence of Lyme disease in the country. While Lyme disease is the most common tickborne disease...

Enjoy Your Summer, Safely Warm weather has arrived in Vermont, and the mountains are lush and green. Swimming, hiking, biking, grilling, sports and even outdoor projects are among the many Vermont summertime activities on our to-do lists! It is easy...

One of the best ways to improve our mental and physical health during the winter is to get outside! And Vermont has much to offer during the winter months, whether it’s sledding, winter sports or a walk in the woods...

Vermont's lakes, rivers and swimming holes are an important part of our recreational landscape. Whether boating, swimming or just splashing around, here are tips to safely enjoy water activities.

Powassan virus disease is a rare but serious illness caused by the bite of an infected tick. Three species of ticks found in Vermont can transmit the virus, but only one of these species – the blacklegged tick – commonly...

Anaplasmosis is a tick bite illness caused the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum. It is spread by the bite of infected blacklegged ticks, the same tick that transmits Lyme disease, babesiosis, hard tick relapsing fever, and Powassan virus. It is also possible...

Hard tick relapsing fever ( formerly known as Borrelia miyamotoi disease) is caused by the bacterium, Borrelia miyamotoi, which was first discovered in Japan in 1995. In the United States, the first human infections were reported in 2013. The first...