Vinton County Health Department Offers Free Tick Prevention Class in April

Dr. Timothy McDermott has spent his veterinary career with OSU Extension tracking tick-borne illness through Ohio's agricultural communities. On April 28, he will bring that expertise to McArthur, where the Vinton County Health Department is offering a free tick prevention class open to county residents and farm operators.

The program, hosted at the department's offices at 31927 State Route 93, arrives as tick season accelerates across southeastern Ohio's wooded and agricultural terrain. Vinton County's combination of outdoor recreation, timber land, and working farms creates year-round exposure risks, and the class is designed to reduce infections like Lyme disease in both people and livestock.

The Health Department, led by Director Ciara Fox, is the county's primary public health provider in an area where healthcare access is limited. The department maintains routine clinic hours on Mondays from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. and Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. to noon, covering vaccinations, WIC enrollment, reproductive health referrals, and environmental health services. Those programs run on a walk-in and appointment basis, with the department reachable at 740-596-5233.

Residents who want to attend the April 28 class can also call that number during business hours. The Board of Health meeting schedule and public records request forms are available through the county's government pages.

McDermott's background as a Franklin County Extension veterinarian positions the April 28 session as a targeted resource for a county where an infected tick poses risks not just to a hiker but to the cattle, horses, and working dogs that are central to many households' livelihoods. With three weeks remaining before the class, the window to prepare is open, but it will not stay that way long.