Wisconsin Tick-Bite ER Visits Peak at 66 per 10,000 as Warm March Woke Pests Early
Updated
Updated · WPR · May 20
Wisconsin Tick-Bite ER Visits Peak at 66 per 10,000 as Warm March Woke Pests Early
2 articles · Updated · WPR · May 20
Late-April Wisconsin emergency-room visits for tick bites hit 66 per 10,000 visits, up from 40 a year earlier, after an early spring surge.
March warmth pushed temperatures into the 40s and 50s, activating ticks weeks early, while CDC data shows U.S. tick-bite ER visits are at their highest rate for this time of year in nearly a decade.
Wood ticks account for many current encounters, but UW-Madison researchers said the bigger public-health risk is the tiny nymph stage of black-legged ticks expected to rise in late May and early June.
Wisconsin remains a Lyme disease hotspot because its forests, deer and mice create prime tick habitat, and researchers say people are increasingly picking up ticks in backyards and gardens, not just woods.
Beyond bug spray, what systemic changes are needed to combat the escalating threat of tick-borne diseases?
As climate change brings ticks to more backyards, are our current prevention strategies becoming obsolete?