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Southern Seven Health warns of rising numbers of Lone Star ticks

You are not imagining it. Health experts and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirm that ER visits for tick bites are at their highest level since 2017. 

Milder winters and changing weather patterns have allowed more ticks to survive the cold and emerge much earlier in the season. An abundance of small mammals and deer in recent years has provided ample feeding hosts.

Ticks are not just a summer issue anymore; local Illinois officials report high activity starting aggressively in the spring. Ticks are most active from April through September.

The Southern Seven Health Department is raising particular awareness about the Lone Star tick, a species that is identifiable by a distinctive white dot on the backs of adult females, while adult males display scattered white markings around the edges of their bodies.

Unlike some tick species that wait for a host to pass by, Lone Star ticks are aggressive biters that actively seek out people and animals by detecting body heat, movement, and carbon dioxide.

Some ticks are infected with germs that can cause serious diseases, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and alpha-gal syndrome, a red meat allergy. Lyme disease is the most common, with an estimated 476,000 people treated for it each year, according to the CDC.

To reduce the risk of tick bites, the health department recommends using EPA-registered insect repellents, wearing long sleeves and pants when in wooded or grassy areas, performing full-body tick checks after spending time outdoors, checking children and pets for ticks, and showering soon after coming indoors.

More details are available at the Southern Seven Facebook page .


(AP file photo)
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