Tick Information and Prevention
Quick Links - Fight the Bite
Information for Providers
Suspect illness due to a tick bite?
Providers can consult with Alexandria Health Department epidemiologists and environmental health experts about tick-borne illnesses and patient care.
Visit our disease reporting page or call 703.746.4951.
Information for Pet Owners
Tick bites can make pets sick. Dogs are especially vulnerable.
Vaccines are available for some tick-borne diseases, but pet owners should also:
- Perform regular tick checks, especially after time outside.
- Talk to your vet about tick-borne diseases and preventive products to put on your pet.
- Be smart about where you let your pets roam.
Ticks In Alexandria
There are many different types of ticks, and they can vary in size. Ticks can be the size of a poppy seed to that of an apple seed. Ticks live in grasses, bushes, and other vegetation. In Alexandria, people might be bit in parks, in their yards, or in grassy areas.
The most common types of ticks in Northern Virginia are:
Black Legged Tick (Deer Tick)
Ixodes scapularisAmerican Dog Tick
Dermacentor variabilisLone Star Tick
Amblyomma Aamericanum![]()
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Click the Tick-Borne Illnesses card above to learn more about the different illnesses these ticks can cause.
Want to help Virginia scientists track ticks and tick-borne diseases in our state? Save your tick and submit information about a tick you've found to state scientists!