Regional ER Tick-Bite Visits Hit Highest Level Since 2017 as Awareness Drives Reporting
Updated
Updated · WOWT · May 28
Regional ER Tick-Bite Visits Hit Highest Level Since 2017 as Awareness Drives Reporting
7 articles · Updated · WOWT · May 28
CDC tracker data show regional weekly ER visit rates for tick bites are at their highest for this point in the year since 2017.
Creighton researcher Travis Bure said the rise likely reflects more people reporting bites, not a surge in tick populations — a sign of stronger public awareness.
In Council Bluffs, Genie Pest Control says tick-related lawn-spraying calls are up about 25% over the past month and a half, with crews treating around 40 homes a week.
Naturalists say ticks remain common in the metro and can appear nearly year-round, making prevention and prompt removal important because many tick-borne diseases take 24 to 48 hours to transmit.
Is public awareness a smokescreen for a real tick explosion driven by Nebraska's changing climate?
A single bite can cause a lifelong meat allergy. How is this strange new disease reshaping life in the Midwest?
Beyond bug spray, can cities design parks and yards to be naturally resistant to the growing tick threat?