Although it’s earlier than usual, ticks have already been spotted in Wisconsin woods, and three cases of lyme disease symptoms have been reported.
For those in the north, northeast, and south, be on the lookout for tick bites whenever out walking, and check your pets when they come indoors. Ticks should be immediately removed using tweezers—the longer the tick bite remains, the more opportunity the tick has to transmit disease.
If you have a tick bite, make a note of the date and location that it probably occurred, then watch for lyme disease symptoms.
Lyme disease symptoms vary greatly between cases. It can take days or years for lyme disease to become an active infection, and different people have different lyme disease symptoms.
The most common early symptom is a red rash around the site of the tick bite—it’s important to check the area of the tick bite regularly for a month, since the rash may be painless. As the infection develops, the rash will spread, and other lyme disease symptoms will start to appear for most people.
Like most infections, lyme disease makes the body weak, and can cause fever and headache. Without treatment, lyme disease symptoms can affect the heart and brain, and after months without treatment can create lasting damage.
Tick bites can also cause co-infections with lyme disease, either by delivering other bacteria or transmitting a parasite. Those with lyme disease symptoms should get tested for other tick borne illnesses.
Share your thoughts below, or share reports of where tick bites are already occurring:
