More people than usual for this time of year are going to the emergency department for tick bites.
It prompted the CDC to issue a statement last month urging people to protect themselves from ticks.
“I think what's happened is that we've probably woken up the ticks a little earlier than typical. People are seeing adult ticks, which are the kind of bigger, more shocking life stages to see,” said Lyric Batholomay, professor of parasitology and vector biology in the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Wisconsin Madison. “All of a sudden you find this big tick on yourself. That's distressing. They're out again because it's been a little warmer and not quite when people are expecting to see them.”
Just like the spring weather, the Northwoods is delayed a bit compared to other parts of the country and even the state when it comes to ticks emerging.
‘An explosion in tick-bite calls’
When the CDC issued its statement on increased ER visits for tick bites on April 23rd, ice was just started to come off the lakes, snow piles were still found in the woods, and tick reports were low in the Northwoods.
That changed last week, according to Aspirus Tickborne Illness Center Nurse Practitioner Ashley Johnson.
“We have seen an explosion of tick-bite calls at the center,” said Johnson.
(Note: You may need to scroll the graphic to the right to compare years.)
Despite this being our snowiest and coldest winter in a couple years, this winter was considered mild to moderate for much of the state by the Wisconsin DNR winter severity index standards (northern Vilas and Iron Counties were the exception hitting the severe level).
This gives the animals that host ticks, like mice and deer, a better chance of survival and therefore gives the ticks a better chance.
“When they have more opportunity to feed and reproduce, then we see that increase in tick population,” said Johnson.
This also means as climate change leads to shorter winters, we’ll likely see ticks earlier.
The two previous mild winters Johnson was seeing tick bites outside the normal window of May through November.
“I don't know if it was last year or the year before, but we had a few tick bite calls in the middle of December when we didn't have any snow,” said Johnson. “Then last year, I think our first tick bite was in early March. We can see those tick bites at different times of the year. Anytime it warms up and the ground is uncovered.”
The center works with patients to identify which tick bit them and treat appropriately for any potential illnesses.
“Ticks are like sewers. They can carry multiple infections and you can get multiple infections from just one tick bite,” said Johnson.
One of the more severe illnesses people can contract in our region is Lyme disease.
The rise of Lyme Disease
Lyme disease cases in Wisconsin have steadily increased over the last 30 to 40 years.
Part of this is because the ticks that carry Lyme disease, black-legged also called deer ticks, are now found in more counties.
“[Ticks] rely on mammals to move them,” said Bartholomy. “I think that helps us understand why there are more and more people infected with Lyme disease because the ticks are more widespread than they used to be.”
There is also better reporting and diagnosing of Lyme disease.
Vilas, Oneida, Forest, Lincoln, and Price Counties have some of the highest rates of Lyme disease in the state.
Prevention is key
The best way to avoid illness is to prevent tick bites. This includes:
- Wearing long pants and sleeves
- Tucking pants into socks.
- Treating clothes with permethrin.
- DEET spray
- Essential oils or creams with a combination of cedarwood oil, lemon, and eucalyptus
Remove any ticks on you immediately making sure not to squeeze the body. If you’re using tweezers, get as close to the skin as possible. There are also tools made to remove ticks.
Johnson recommends seeking medical attention if a deer tick is embedded, especially if it’s engorged.
“We will preventatively treat most tick bites regardless of how long the tick has been attached because it's really not clear how long it takes for that tick to transmit those infections, specifically Lyme,” said Johnson.
She also recommends keeping any ticks you find embedded. It can make it easier for testing if you develop symptoms later.
