Outdoor activities increase with the approach of spring season. People enjoy the season by doing gardening outdoors in the yard, playing in community park and strolling along wooded trails.

However, the progressing balmy weather also comes with the annual tick season. State officials are ramping up efforts in regions with consistently high rates of infection.

They want to ensure that residents should know what to do if they experience a tick bite or the symptoms of a tick-borne illness known as Lyme disease.

The disease has become a mounting problem as tick populations have continued to spread into new territories. According to experts, the increase in tick population is due to shifting climate patterns and widespread residential development.

The illness is caused transmitted through the bite of a nymph or juvenile black-legged tick, also known as a deer tick. It can cause serious heart and nervous system problems if it isn't promptly diagnosed and treated with antibiotics.

Katherine Feldman, public health veterinarian with the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said, "There's a lot of Lyme disease out there, and we don't have any reason to think that the infection rates and our number of ticks are suddenly going to drop. We want everyone to be aware of the potential for Lyme infection".

Feldman added that in order to avoid infection, people can dress in light-colored clothing that will make it easier to see a tick. They shower or bathe soon after any exposure to a possible tick habitat.