deer ticks - WKTV Journal

Blacklegged tick. (Photo Courtesy, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org

When it comes to summertime pests in Michigan, the pesky mosquito is generally thought of first. While that annual nuisance is prevalent again this year, another pest is making a comeback and taking its toll on Michiganders.

Like the mosquito, ticks are another summertime culprit that feasts on humans and spreads its own varieties of disease.

Tick-borne diseases, particularly Lyme disease and anaplasmosis, are increasing across the state of Michigan.

According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Lyme disease cases have increased 168% over the last five years. Michigan recorded 1,215 cases of Lyme disease in 2024, as compared to 452 cases in 2020. Anaplasmosis cases in Michigan have seen an almost fivefold increase over the last five years, with 82 cases in 2024 compared to 17 in 2020.

Lyme disease most common one in Michigan

Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, is the most common tick-borne disease in Michigan. (Michigan Health and Human Services) Anaplasmosis, caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum, is the second most common tick-borne disease and cases are increasing, particularly in the northern parts of the state.

Blacklegged ticks. (Photo Courtesy, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

“Preventing tick bites is the best way to prevent tick-borne diseases, including Lyme disease and anaplasmosis,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive for the MDHHS. “If you find a tick attached to your body, promptly remove it. Monitor your health, and if you experience fever, rash, muscle or joint aches or other symptoms, or if you suspect a tick has been attached for more than 24 hours, consult with your medical provider.”

Key Points from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

*Infected ticks are found most commonly in forested areas in the northeastern, north-central, and mid-Atlantic states, and in smaller areas within Pacific Coast states.
*Lyme disease bacteria causing human infection in the United States are spread to people by blacklegged (Ixodes) ticks.
*In general, infected ticks must be attached for more than 24 hours to transmit infection; prompt tick removal can prevent transmission.

Roughly 75% of Michigan Counties have a known risk for Lyme disease according to the latest map published by the Michigan.gov. Menominee and Dickinson Counties in the Upper Peninsula ranked first and second in the state for most confirmed cases of Lyme Disease. However, closer to home, Kalamazoo County was fourth, Ottawa County seventh and Allegan County is eighth in number of confirmed cases.

Unlike many other diseases, there is currently no vaccine to guard against Lyme Disease.

“There is a Lyme Disease vaccine for dogs,” said Dr. Maria Diuk-Wasser, a professor of ecology, evolution and environmental biology at Columbia University, who is researching the spread of ticks and which parts of the country tend to harbor disease-carrying ticks. “There is a vaccine in the works that is scheduled to come out in a couple of years. There used to be a vaccine for ticks, but it was taken off the market due to poor sales about 20 years ago.”

The early symptoms of Lyme disease, according to the Mayo Clinic, are fever, headache, extreme tiredness, joint stiffness, muscle aches and pains and swollen lymph nodes. Signs and symptoms of tick-borne disease typically begin one to two weeks after a bite, often after being in wooded or brushy areas where ticks commonly live. Early treatment with appropriate antibiotics can decrease the risk of serious complications.

Classic Lyme disease rash. (Photo Courtesy, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

According to Health and Human Services, both Lyme disease and anaplasmosis are transmitted by Ixodes scapularis, commonly known as the blacklegged or deer tick. The blacklegged tick is well-established in parts of Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas and has been expanding its range over the years.

The MDHHS is encouraging Michigan residents to take steps to avoid tick bites while enjoying the outdoors. Protect yourself against Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases by following these tips.

*Avoid tick-infested areas that harbor them like grassy, brushy and wooded areas. Individuals should walk in the center of trails to avoid contact with overgrown grass, brush and leaf litter on trail edges. Dogs and cats can encounter ticks outdoors and bring them into the home. Talk with your veterinarian about the best tick prevention products.
*Apply an EPA-registered repellent on exposed skin. Treat clothes before going out to forested areas or hiking with permethrin, which kills ticks on contact or buy clothes that are pre-treated. Do not use permethrin directly on skin.
*Always check for ticks on yourself and your animals after being outdoors, including in your own yard. Inspect all body surfaces carefully and remove attached ticks carefully with tweezers.
*Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors, preferably within two hours, to wash off and more easily find ticks. Wash clothing in hot water and dry on high heat to kill ticks.

For more information on Lyme disease and other tick-borne conditions, or how to submit your tick and/or photo of a tick, visit Michigan.gov/Lyme.

The Kent County Health Department also has a Tick Borne Diseases Fact Sheet available on its website.

Additional information nationally is available at CDC.gov/Lyme.

Michigan’s deer ticks can be as small as a poppy seed, and if attached care must be taken to remove. (State of Michigan)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

For West Michiganders, at least those sticking around the Grand Rapids area and not heading up north, a Memorial Day weekend visit to the Lake Michigan shoreline is a great option if not a must.

But with the un-official start of the summer outdoor season also a Memorial Day weekend, outdoor adventures also bring the un-official start of Michigan’s deer tick season — and with black legged (deer) ticks comes the risk of Lyme disease.

Most humans are infected with Lyme disease through the bites of immature ticks, called nymphs, that feed during the spring and summer months. But these nymphs are approximately the size of a poppy seed, so they are hard to see.

“Prompt removal of ticks is the best method to decrease the chance of Lyme disease,” Dr. Paul Heidel, Ottawa County Department of Public Health medical director, said in supplied material. “Seek medical attention if you develop a fever, a rash, severe fatigue, facial paralysis, or joint pain within 30 days of being bitten by a tick.”

Routinely, ticks must be attached for 36 to 48 hours for the Lyme disease bacterium to be transmitted.

The State of Michigan and local health officials have suggestions to avoid Lyme-carrying ticks:

When outdoors, walk in the center of trails, and avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass.

Around home, create tick-safe zones in your yard by keeping patios and play areas away from vegetation, regularly remove leaves, clear tall grasses and brush around home, place wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas, and use a chemical control agent.

Use an insect repellent containing DEET (20-30 percent) or Picaridin on exposed skin, and treat clothing and gear (such as boots, pants, socks and tents) with products containing 0.5 percent permethrin — do not use permethrin directly on skin. (Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.)

Bathe or shower after being outside in tick-infested areas (preferably within two hours). And conduct a full-body tick check (under arms, in and around ears, inside belly button, behind knees, between legs, around waist and especially in hair), especially inspect children.

Finally, if you find a tick attached, use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth parts to break off and remain in the skin. Clean the area with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub or soap and water.