Most of us think of summer as the healthiest season of the year.

We’re outside more. We open the windows. We engage with nature.  We adventure. We visit farmers markets. We pile our plates with fresh fruits and vegetables.

Unfortunately, this summer some of those activities come with increased risks.

Depending on where the wind is blowing, millions of Americans are once again dealing with unhealthy air from Canadian and western U.S. wildfires.  But this year, air flow patterns make planning outdoor activities next to impossible. Last week Northeast and Northwest residents experienced air quality deemed unhealthy for all humans, not just those sensitive or at risk. We can expect those bad air days (pun intended) to affect us on and off during this summer as the wind shifts directions.

If you manage to find some healthy days to take a hike, you should know that 2026 is one of the worst and longest on record, with the CDC tracking near-record high emergency room visits for tick bites nationwide. If it seems like we say this every year, it is true! Warmer winters and changing climate patterns are allowing ticks to expand their geographic range and survive the cold months.    

As if that weren’t enough, the country is experiencing one of its largest cyclosporiasis outbreaks in years, linked to fresh produce served at restaurants and sold in grocery stores across multiple states. The source has been frustratingly difficult for investigators to pin down because several unrelated outbreaks appear to be happening at once. 

None of this should keep you indoors all summer or scare you away from eating vegetables. But paying attention to a few warning signs can make all the difference in keeping you healthy this summer.

About The Air Out There

One of the frustrating things about wildfire smoke is that it doesn’t respect national or state boundaries. Smoke from fires burning hundreds or even thousands of miles away can drift across much of North America in just a few days. Some mornings the sky looks perfectly normal. Others have an orange haze. Sometimes the air looks fine but contains dangerous levels of microscopic particles.

The biggest concern is something called PM2.5, particles so tiny they can travel deep into your lungs, enter your bloodstream and trigger inflammation throughout the body. Scientists have linked short-term exposure to asthma attacks, bronchitis, worsening COPD, heart attacks and strokes. Emerging research also suggests repeated exposure may affect brain health over time. 

Unlike pollen, you can’t judge smoke exposure by how much your eyes itch.

Instead, use the Air Quality Index (AQI). Most weather apps now display it automatically.

A quick guide:

• 0-50:Enjoy the outdoors.
• 51-100:Generally safe, although sensitive people should pay attention.
• 101-150:Children, older adults, pregnant women and anyone with heart or lung disease should reduce strenuous outdoor activity.
• Over 150:Everyone should limit outdoor exercise.
• Over 200:Stay indoors whenever possible. 

How to Stay Healthy

When smoke rolls in:

• Close windows and run your air conditioner on “recirculate.”
• Use a HEPA air purifier if you have one.
• Skip outdoor workouts until conditions improve.
• If you must spend time outside, wear a properly fitted N95 or KN95 mask.
• Avoid creating more indoor pollution by burning candles, fireplaces or vacuuming. 

• If smoke causes chest pain, severe shortness of breath or worsening asthma symptoms, seek medical care promptly.

Tick Trouble

Every summer we issue a tick warning. And it seems as if every summer the tick population increases exponentially. Check out last year’s comprehensive tick email with information to help you identify the ticks in your area and the diseases they may carry (warning: there are some disturbing “tick pics” therein).  Here is what is different this year:

• Northeast & Midwest: These regions are seeing some of the highest incidence of tick bites in over a decade. Blacklegged ticks (deer ticks) are particularly active, carrying high risks of Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis.
• South & Southeast: Warm and wet conditions have driven an explosion in Lone Star and Gulf Coast ticks, bringing high risks of alpha-gal syndrome (meat allergy) and ehrlichiosis.
• Pacific Northwest: Lyme disease risks from the Western blacklegged tick continue to increase as the insects expand their ranges.

How to Protect Yourself

• Before You Go Out: Treat your gear and clothing with products containing 0.5% permethrin.
• While Outside: Wear light-colored clothing, long sleeves, and long pants. Tuck your pant legs into your socks and stick to the center of hiking trails to avoid brushing through dense brush and leaf litter.
• Repellents: Use EPA-registered insect repellents such as DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus.

A Little Tick Perspective

Ticks need to bite you to make you sick. So, if you find a tick while it is still crawling, it has not infected you. 

It takes more than a few hours of attachment for a tick to transmit disease. According to the CDC, your risk is very low if the tick has been attached for fewer than 24 hours. This gives us a fighting chance to stay healthy. 

Only a fraction of ticks carry disease. Depending on the type of tick, its location, and its age, that fraction could be as little as 1% or as much as 50%. Unfortunately, an estimated 50% of blacklegged ticks in the Northeast carry Lyme disease.

Fresh Produce Isn’t the Problem. A Tiny Parasite Is.

Every summer, public health officials see cases of cyclosporiasis, but this year has been unusually active.

Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that contaminates fresh produce before it reaches your kitchen, usually through contaminated irrigation water or poor sanitation during growing or harvesting. Unlike many foodborne illnesses, washing fruits and vegetables may reduce dirt but often doesn’t remove the parasite because it clings tightly to the surface. Thorough cooking is far more effective, but of course many of the foods involved, herbs, leafy greens and berries, are usually eaten raw. 

Investigators have had a particularly difficult time this year because there doesn’t appear to be one single source. Multiple clusters have been associated with different restaurants and produce suppliers, making recalls and public messaging more complicated. 

The Symptoms

Unlike food poisoning that strikes later the same day, cyclosporiasis usually doesn’t appear until 2 to 14 days after eating contaminated food. The good news is that the parasite is almost never fatal, and it cannot be transmitted from human to human.

Symptoms include:

• Profuse watery diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Loss of appetite
• Bloating and gas
• Weight loss
• Low-grade fever
• Muscle aches

The unusual feature is how long it can last. Symptoms often continue for several weeks and may disappear only to return days later. 

Because it is caused by a parasite rather than bacteria or a virus, it requires a stool test for diagnosis and is treated with a specific antibiotic, usually trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim). Standard anti-diarrheal treatments won’t eliminate the infection. 

How to Stay Healthy

Don’t give up fresh fruits and vegetables. The health benefits still far outweigh the risks.

Instead:

• Wash produce thoroughly under running water.
• Follow food recalls when they’re announced.
• Be especially careful with imported herbs and leafy greens during outbreaks.
• Stay hydrated if diarrhea develops.
• If symptoms last more than a couple of days, especially after eating fresh produce, call Amaze or another healthcare provider and mention the possibility of cyclospora.

The Bottom Line

Summer is still one of the healthiest times of year. Fresh air and fresh produce remain two of the best things you can give your body.

This year simply asks us to be a little more informed.

Before your morning walk, check the AQI. Before dismissing persistent diarrhea as a “stomach bug,” remember cyclospora.

Sometimes the healthiest choices aren’t about changing what you do. They’re about knowing when conditions have changed around you.