WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is warning outdoor workers to be especially wary of Lyme disease.

''Outdoor workers are at particularly high risk, and the tick population may continue to increase this season due to the rising number of deer and recent mild winters,'' David Weld, executive director of the American Lyme Disease Foundation in Somers, N.Y., said Wednesday.

Occupations that carry a high risk of exposure to infected ticks include construction work, landscaping, forestry, brush clearing, land surveying, farming, railroad work, oilfield work, utility line work and park/wildlife management.

Rash, flu-like symptoms, arthritis and heart abnormalities are some of the symptoms suffered by Lyme disease victims.

Daily tick checks, vaccinations and use of insect repellent are preventive measures.