Deer ticks across Bureau County test positive for Lyme disease

The Bureau County Health Department found that 38 percent of adult black-legged ticks, or deer ticks, collected from October 2023 to April 2024, tested positive for Lyme disease.

The ticks were screened for other related diseases. One tested positive for the bacteria responsible for hard tick relapsing fever.

Statewide tick surveillance data may be viewed at arcg.is/15fDSO.

Lyme disease is rapidly growing and can be difficult to diagnose. Its symptoms of fever, joint pain and fatigue mimic other illnesses, and many patients do not develop the characteristic bullseye rash, according to a news release from the health department.

Tests for Lyme disease are often unreliable, and many people do not remember being bitten by a tick, according to the release.

“The public is urged to take precautions to avoid tick bites during outdoor activities,” said Hector Gomez, Bureau, Putnam and Marshall County Health Department Administrator, in the release. “Ticks can transmit several different diseases which can lead to serious illness, death or life-long neurological conditions.”

Tips to Avoid Tick Bites

• Wear light-colored clothing when outdoors so that ticks may be easily seen.
• Always check thoroughly for ticks after outdoor activities, such as hunting, gathering, hiking and even gardening.
• Check children and pets for ticks.
• Apply Permethrin, a chemical used to kill ticks, to outer clothing worn in tick habitats, especially shoes and pants.
• Tuck socks and pants into boots and long-sleeved shirts into pants.
• Place clothing and gear in a dryer on high heat for at least six minutes immediately after returning from the outdoors to kill ticks.
• Apply DEET insect repellent to skin as a secondary defense against tick bites.
• Walk in the center of trails to avoid leaf litter and vegetation.

If You Find a Tick Attached to You

• Remove attached ticks immediately by using fine-tipped tweezers to grasp them close to the skin and pull straight up with steady pressure. Avoid using heat, Vaseline or other methods that might cause the tick to release disease-carrying fluids.
• Seal the tick in a container and call Bureau, Putnam and Marshall County Health Departments at 815-872-5091. The departments will identify the tick and discuss symptoms of disease that may appear.

Illustrated instructions can be found at bpmhd.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/What-to-do-in-case-of-a-tick-bite.pdf.