MONROE — Green County Public Health is reminding community members to protect themselves, their family members, and their pets against ticks this summer. Ticks are common in Wisconsin and can spread diseases such as Lyme disease and, more rarely, Powassan virus and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Lyme disease is the most common illness spread by ticks in Wisconsin. It has spread to every county in the state over the last three decades, and the average number of reported cases has tripled over the past 15 years. In 2023, over 6,300 cases of Lyme disease were reported in Wisconsin, and it’s estimated that many more cases were not reported.

Many people who get sick from an illness spread by ticks do not remember getting a tick bite. The common symptoms of illnesses spread by ticks include fever, rash, headache, body aches, and fatigue. Most diseases spread by ticks in Wisconsin, including Lyme disease, can be treated with antibiotics. You should call your doctor if you have worrisome symptoms and think you may have been bitten by a tick.

“As people start spending more and more time outside, it’s important for them to keep tick prevention in mind,” said RoAnn Warden, Director of Green County Public Health. “Residents can protect themselves and their families from tick bites by following simple steps before, during, and after being outdoors.”  

For more information on tick bite prevention, visit the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website.

To stay up-to-date on all things related to Green County Public Health, visit gcpublichealth.org.

Tick bites are preventable. When spending time outdoors, follow these simple steps to protect yourself and your family members from tick bites:

BEFORE GOING OUTDOORS 

●  Use an insect repellent with 20-30% DEET or another EPA-registered repellent according to the label instructions.

●  Use 0.5% permethrin products on clothing, socks, and shoes according to label instructions. 

●  Wear long sleeves and pants, and tuck pants into socks and shirts into pants to avoid ticks crawling under clothing. 

●  Use a veterinarian-prescribed tick prevention treatment on pets.

WHILE OUTDOORS

●  Walk in the center of trails and do not brush up against plants on the edge of trails. 

●  Avoid wooded and brushy areas with tall grass and leaves. 

AFTER BEING OUTDOORS

●  Check all parts of the body carefully, especially the armpits, behind the knees, scalp, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, and groin.

●  Parents should check their children for ticks.

●  Place clothes in the dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill any ticks on clothing.