Updated
Updated · OregonLive · Jun 27
Multnomah County Finds 1 Tick in 30 Minutes as Tests Show 0 of 15 Carried Disease
Updated
Updated · OregonLive · Jun 27

Multnomah County Finds 1 Tick in 30 Minutes as Tests Show 0 of 15 Carried Disease

2 articles · Updated · OregonLive · Jun 27

Summary

  • A 30-minute tick-flagging sweep at Portland’s Powell Butte Nature Park on Thursday turned up just one tick, giving Multnomah County fresh evidence that current disease risk remains low.
  • County officials said hotter, drier recent weather has reduced tick activity, even as anecdotal reports and a haul of 25 ticks at the same park last month suggest populations can spike in favorable conditions.
  • Of 15 ticks the county has sent to labs, none tested positive for disease; officials said Oregon ticks carry illnesses such as Lyme disease far less often than ticks in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
  • Multnomah County still urges precautions in grassy and brushy areas during peak spring season, including long clothing, repellents and careful tweezer removal if a tick attaches.

Insights

Are 'low-tech' checks enough to protect Portland as climate change makes the region more inviting for dangerous ticks?
As Lyme-carrying ticks spread across Oregon, is Portland's status as a low-risk safe zone about to change?
With a new Lyme vaccine nearing FDA approval, could the seasonal threat of tick bites finally be nearing an end?