Health Department

From the Virginia Department of Health The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is urging parents and caregivers to take the Pool Safely Pledge (en Español) as the Commonwealth continues to see a concerning rise in accidental drownings among children under the age of five in swimming pools. Pool Safely is a national public education campaign led by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to help prevent child drownings and entrapments in pools and spas. The pledge – available for both adults and children – takes less than a minute and reinforces simple, life-saving safety practices. The adult pledge includes commitment to: Designate a water watcher every single time children in their care are in or near the water. Make sure their kids know how to swim. Learn CPR. Always remove portable pool ladders when not in use. Ensure all permanent pools have a proper fence and gate and anti-entrapment drain covers. The children’s pledge includes reminders to: Never swim alone. Ask their parents to sign them up for swimming lessons. Stay away from drains in the pool or hot tub. Have fun and always follow these safety steps in and around the water. To date, children under age five have accidentally drowned in Virginia pools in 2025, an increase from the last three years (three in 2024, two in 2023, and four in 2022.) “The tragic rise in drowning deaths of young children demands that we all become extra vigilant about pool safety,” said VDH Chief Deputy Commissioner for Community Health Services Susan Fischer Davis, MD. “Have fun at the pool – but always be alert to risks, especially with young children.” Drowning is the leading cause of death among children ages one to four. From 2022 through 2024, an estimated average of 6,300 children under age 15 years were treated annually in U.S. emergency departments (EDs) for nonfatal drowning-related injuries. Seventy-three percent of those children were under age five. In Virginia, on average, one person drowns every four days. Drownings happen quickly – often silently. Take action now. Take the Pool Safely Pledge today and commit to protecting your family this summer. Visit swimhealthyva.com for more information. Swim safe. Stay safe!

Lyme disease is the most reported tick-borne disease in the Fairfax area. In 2025, 80* cases of Lyme disease have been reported in the Fairfax Health District so far. In a voluntary survey provided to individuals with confirmed cases of tickborne diseases, only 23% reported finding a tick attached or on them prior to their diagnosis. Exposure to ticks can occur in many places, including your own backyard. It is important to always perform a tick check after spending time outside, especially if you have been in brushy, wooded, or high grass areas. *Preliminary data subject to change.  Lyme disease is spread through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick (also known as a deer tick). If left untreated, the disease can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system. Recognize the Symptoms   Click to view larger Early symptoms of Lyme disease typically occur 3 to 30 days after the tick bite and include:  A bull’s-eye rash (Only 70 to 80 percent of people with Lyme disease get this rash)  Fever  Headache  Achy muscles and joints  Fatigue   If you have symptoms or signs of Lyme disease or another tick-borne illness, see your doctor – even if you don’t remember being bitten by a tick. Most cases of Lyme or other tick-borne diseases can be treated with a few weeks of antibiotics. Learn more about the symptoms of Lyme disease.  Prevent and Protect  Avoiding ticks is the best defense against Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections. It is important to be extra vigilant from March through October when ticks are most active. Blacklegged ticks are also active on warm winter days when the temperature is greater than 40 degrees Fahrenheit.   Have a Tick-Free Yard  Blacklegged ticks need the higher humidity levels of woodland to survive and die quickly in drier environments. Keep ticks out of your yard by:  Increasing exposure to sun and air by removing leaf litter  Mowing the lawn frequently   Clearing tall grass and brush around houses and at the edges of lawns  Laying down wood chips or gravel where laws butt up against wooded areas  Building fences to discourage animals, such as deer and raccoons, from entering your yard  Permethrin is an insecticide that is effective in both killing and repelling ticks in your yard. Contact a professional pesticide company to apply pesticides at your home.  Use Insect Repellent  Use EPA-registered repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE) or para-methane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone and always follow product label instructions  American Academy of Pediatrics recommends using products containing no more than 30% DEET on children   Never use oil of lemon eucalyptus and para-methane-diol on children under 3 years of age  Apply repellent to your clothing as well as exposed skin If you are using sunscreen, apply sunscreen first and insect repellent second  Do not use any insect repellent on babies under 2 months of age  Dress to Protect  Long sleeves and pants in light colors provide protection and make it easier to spot ticks that may have hitched a ride on your clothing. Tuck pant legs into long socks to help prevent ticks from climbing up your shoes and socks and onto your skin.  Permethrin can be used to treat clothing and gear ahead of time and can last through several washes. When used properly, it will kill ticks before they bite.   Check for Ticks After You Come Inside  Check your clothing; tumble dry clothing on high heat for 10 minutes to kill any remaining ticks  Bathe or shower as soon as possible  Use a mirror or ask a friend, partner, or spouse to help check your body for ticks; pay close attention to warm, moist areas that ticks are drawn to including armpits, the groin area, in and around ears and hairline, belly button, backs of your knees and between your legs  Check your children, gear, and pets for ticks  Remove Ticks Safely   If you do get bitten, follow these steps to remove the tick:  Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible  Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Do not twist or jerk the tick; this may cause the mouthparts to break off and remain in the skin  After removing the tick, thoroughly disinfect the bite site and wash your hands with soap and water   Do not squeeze, crush, or puncture the body of the tick   Do not use nail polish, petroleum jelly, or a hot match to make the tick detach from your skin  Have the tick identified  Fairfax County Health Department offers a free tick identification service.  The Health Department does not test for Lyme disease or other tick-borne diseases. Still, having your tick identified is useful if you develop symptoms and need to see your medical provider.  After you remove the attached tick, you can get it identified by the Health Department by submitting a photo online, bringing it in, or mailing it in.   Learn more about this service. 

School is out, days are warm, and summer is here. Make the most of it with these six reminders for a healthy and safe summer. Fight the Bite Mosquitoes and ticks can ruin outdoor fun. Their bites are more than annoying — sometimes they transmit diseases. West Nile virus and Lyme disease are two of the vector-borne diseases transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks, respectively, in our region. Get in the habit of taking these simple prevention measures when you go outside: Use insect repellents that contain EPA-registered active ingredients like DEET or picaridin. Wear long, loose, light-colored clothing when outdoors. Shower soon after outdoor activities; perform tick checks (on yourself, family members, and pets) after spending time outside. Find more ways to fight the bite, including how to control mosquitoes and ticks. Add Immunizations to Your Travel Checklist International travel increases your chances of getting and spreading diseases that are rare or not found in the United States. If your summer plans including traveling outside the country, check to see what immunizations are recommended for the area you are visiting. Prior to traveling, you should also make sure you are up to date on all of your routine vaccines. See what immunizations you need before traveling and where to get them. Don’t Invite Food Poisoning to the Party Food poisoning peaks in the summer months when warmer temperatures cause foodborne germs to flourish. From burgers at barbeques to potato salad at potlucks, there are steps you can take to prevent foodborne illness, such as cooking food to the correct temperature and storing it properly. Get more food safety tips. Beat the Heat Extreme heat is a period of high heat and humidity with temperatures above 90 degrees for multiple days. Extreme heat can be dangerous for everyone, but can be especially dangerous for older adults, infants and young children, and people with chronic medical conditions. Learn to recognize warning signs and symptoms of heat-related illness, such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Stay cool and stay hydrated. Stay informed by paying attention to local weather. You can also follow us on social media and sign up for alerts from Fairfax County. Be Sun Smart Enjoy the outdoors without raising your risk of skin cancer by protecting your skin from the sun. UV rays damage the skin which leads to wrinkles and increases your risk of skin cancer. Remember, you can be exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light even on cloudy and cool days. Layer up on your protection to be sun safe. Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen that filters out both UVA and UVB rays with an SPF of 30 or higher and reapply regularly. Wear protective layers like a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses that block UVA and UVB rays, and protective clothing. Whenever possible, find shade and avoid being in the sun when UV rays tend to be strongest — between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. daylight saving time. Swim and Splash Safely Swimming, and other water-based activities, are a great way to be active while staying cool.  Everyone should take steps to prevent illness and injury every time they are in and around the water. Recreational water illnesses are caused by swallowing, breathing in mist, and having contact with contaminated water. Healthy swimming habits, like not swallowing water, can lower your chance of getting sick. It is also important to stay out of the water if you are sick with diarrhea, to rinse off before getting into pools, splash pads, and hot tubs, and to take young children on bathroom breaks and check diapers (away from the water) every hour. Drowning often occurs quickly and silently. Follow these drowning prevention tips to keep you and your family safe while swimming: Provide active supervision when children are in the water Learn basic swimming skills Learn CPR Avoid swimming after dark Watch for swimming hazards like rip currents and rough waters Observe any advisories and listen to lifeguards “Floaties,” arm bands, and water wings are toys, not safety devices Ensure pools have proper safety features It is also important to know what drowning looks like and how to prevent it.