Tick activity is increasing in several U.S. regions this spring, including the Midwest, and medical professionals reported in April the highest number of emergency room visits for tick bites in nearly a decade, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In Michigan, wood and blacklegged or deer ticks make up 90% of the state’s tick population, with blacklegged ticks the main carrier of Lyme disease, a debilitating bacterial infection.
Before your next foray into Michigan’s great outdoors, take tick prevention steps to protect your health amid the parasites’ peak season, experts say. Key practices like wearing light-colored long pants and long-sleeved shirts, using insect repellent and staying out of high grass can help you avoid tick bites.
If you’ve been bitten, remove the tick as quickly as you can and watch for symptoms or consult a health care provider.
Here’s what to know to prevent tick bites this season.
Is tick activity on the rise?
Yes, tick activity is rising in the Midwest, among other U.S. regions, as temperatures warm, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reported bites seen emergency room visits for tick bites reach their highest levels for this time of year since 2017.
An estimated 476,000 people receive treatment for Lyme disease each year, making it the most prevalent tick-borne illness in the U.S.
How to tell if a tick has bitten you
If you’ve been bitten by a tick, you’ll typically see the parasite, a small, oval-shaped bug with eight legs, and light to dark brown to brownish-red color, depending on the species, burrowed into your skin.
Key areas to check for a bite are your scalp and neck, groin, behind the knees, belly button, armpits, around your waist, and in or around your ears, the Cleveland Clinic advises. The bite area may be bumpy, swollen or itchy.
Tick bites sometimes will form a reddish “bulls-eye” pattern around the bite site.
What keeps ticks away?
Following these tips from MDHHS, CDC and Johns Hopkins Medicine can help you avoid tick bites:
What are Lyme disease symptoms?
After a tick bite, most commonly from a blacklegged tick, it can take three to 30 days for a person to develop symptoms, according to the CDC. Long-term symptoms of untreated Lyme disease can be more severe and debilitating.
Those symptoms can include:
For people who develop the rash, it usually begins at the site of the tick bite and gradually expands. The redness sometimes can appear like a target or bull’s-eye. It might feel warm but rarely is painful or itchy.
What tick species live in Michigan?
Wood and blacklegged or deer ticks account for more than 90% of ticks found in Michigan. Here are five common tick species found in Michigan, according to MDHHS:
USA TODAY contributed.
Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Experts see near-decade high ER surge in tick bites. How to stay safe
Reporting by Jenna Prestininzi and Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY NETWORK / Detroit Free Press
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