Protect Yourself Against Lyme Carrying Ticks

Monday, May 8th, 2023 -- 2:00 PM

(Bob Hague, WRN) Lyme disease cases are on the rise in Wisconsin.

Dr. Greg DeMuri with the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, says climate is driving up the number ticks. “And when we don't get those really, really deep freezes, that are below 20. The tics can survive more. But more importantly, their hosts can survive.”

You can decrease your chance of a Lyme infection when spending time outdoors. “Looks a little nerdy, but if you put a rubber band at the at the base of your pant legs to keep the ticks from crawling up, that's number one. Number two, doing tick checks after you’re done.” There are also a wide variety of tick repellants.

Dr. Greg DeMuri continued, “So this is the season where the ticks are out with a vengeance. Some of the immature forms of the tick the nymphs are out and reproduce, the ticks are reproducing right now. Those forms that the tick can highly transmit Lyme disease are smaller, more difficult to see. So this is unfortunately a very high risk time for acquiring Lyme disease.”

Lyme disease cases are on the rise in Wisconsin. Dr. Greg DeMuri is with the UW School of Medicine and Public Health says you should know which ticks carry the disease. “If you can identify whether it's a deer tick versus a wood tick, we have a ton of wood ticks in Wisconsin, and it's important to distinguish the two."

"If you have a wood tick there's no risk of Lyme disease. If it's a deer tick and it's been attached for 72 hours or more then you should contact your doctor, you might want to take a preventative antibiotic.”
  
You can protect yourself by wearing appropriate clothing when outdoors, applying tick repellants, and doing tick checks after outdoor activities.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.