Hunters, fishermen, campers, and hikers have a greater risk of exposure to diseases transmitted by ticks and mosquitoes, many of which begin with flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, headache and body aches. However, symptoms can worsen quickly and affect various systems of the body. Encephalitis is an infection of the central nervous system that may be caused by one of several mosquito-borne viruses. Those who have more severe forms of the disease may have intense headache, high fever, nausea, muscle weakness, partial or nearly complete unconsciousness and even coma.
Ticks are a problem in Oklahoma.
If you are in an area with ticks, check your body carefully for them every few hours. Most ticks do not attach quickly and seldom transmit disease organisms until they have been attached four or more hours. Ticks can be small, easy to miss and will attach to any part of the body from head to toe, so look carefully. The most important thing is to remove it as soon as possible. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and human Ehrlichiosis are spread by infected ticks and are prevalent diseases in Oklahoma.