In New York, the Ulster County executive has announced a plan to help combat tick-borne illnesses.
County Executive Pat Ryan said on Friday that the plan is being implemented across multiple county departments and mediums, and aims to inform Ulster County residents of the precautions they can take outdoors. Last week, the Ulster County Department of Health confirmed that a county resident had died from the Powassan virus, a rare and often serious disease spread by an infected tick. Ryan says the plan includes producing new tick-related materials from the county health department; sign postings displaying tick-borne disease prevention tips on newly developed trail networks across the county; and a multimedia public service awareness campaign.