Tick bites in Wisconsin are surging early this year. Here’s how to protect yourself.
WPR • • health
Key Points:
- An early spike in tick-related emergency room visits is occurring in Wisconsin and nationwide due to unseasonably warm March weather that activated ticks earlier than usual.
- The most concerning ticks for public health in Wisconsin are black-legged ticks (deer ticks), especially in their nymph stage, which are tiny and often go undetected while carrying Lyme disease bacteria.
- Wisconsin's high Lyme disease rates are linked to its ideal tick habitat, including deciduous forests and abundant deer populations, with ticks increasingly found not only in woods but also in backyards.
- Symptoms of tick-borne illnesses to watch for include fatigue, stiff neck, and rashes, with the nymph tick stage becoming more active in late May and early June.
- Preventative measures include treating clothing with permethrin spray, tucking pants into socks, showering and scrubbing after outdoor activities, and checking pets for ticks to reduce the risk of bites and infection.