MONROE - The warmer spring has triggered more deer tick activity than usual throughout the state, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Service.
State Health Officer Seth Foldy said last year a total of 2,580 cases of Lyme disease were reported in Wisconsin, compared to 2,048 cases in 2008, the Associated Press reported.
May is also Lyme Disease Awareness Month, according to the department's Web site, www.dhs.wisconsin.gov. May through August is the peak period for the deer tick bites. Deer ticks spread the disease.
According to the department's Web site, children less than 16 years of age and people over 40 are at greater risk to get Lyme disease.
In 2009, there were nine reported cases of Lyme disease in Green County, according to Green County Health Department Director RoAnn Warden.
Warden said Lyme disease is easily preventable and easily treatable.
"If you find a tick, watch for a circular red rash," she said. "If you see a rash, I'd recommend calling the doctor right away."
Not everyone will develop a circular red rash, she said, but other symptoms of Lyme disease include fever, headache, tiredness and joint pain.
Warden said the best way to avoid being bitten by a tick is to wear appropriate clothing, such as a long-sleeved shirt and pants, when out in the woods or in grassy areas. She also suggested people check themselves for ticks when they come out of a wooded or grassy area.
The bite of a tick is usually painless and the tick has to be attached to a person for at least 24 hours to transmit the disease.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Service also suggests people:
• use affective tick repellents.
• landscape homes and recreational areas to reduce the number of ticks.
• remove ticks slowly and gently, using thin-bladed tweezers. The goal is to pull the tick's head away from the skin.
• Check dogs and cats for ticks before allowing them inside.
- Times reporter Brian Gray and the Associated Press contributed to this article.
State Health Officer Seth Foldy said last year a total of 2,580 cases of Lyme disease were reported in Wisconsin, compared to 2,048 cases in 2008, the Associated Press reported.
May is also Lyme Disease Awareness Month, according to the department's Web site, www.dhs.wisconsin.gov. May through August is the peak period for the deer tick bites. Deer ticks spread the disease.
According to the department's Web site, children less than 16 years of age and people over 40 are at greater risk to get Lyme disease.
In 2009, there were nine reported cases of Lyme disease in Green County, according to Green County Health Department Director RoAnn Warden.
Warden said Lyme disease is easily preventable and easily treatable.
"If you find a tick, watch for a circular red rash," she said. "If you see a rash, I'd recommend calling the doctor right away."
Not everyone will develop a circular red rash, she said, but other symptoms of Lyme disease include fever, headache, tiredness and joint pain.
Warden said the best way to avoid being bitten by a tick is to wear appropriate clothing, such as a long-sleeved shirt and pants, when out in the woods or in grassy areas. She also suggested people check themselves for ticks when they come out of a wooded or grassy area.
The bite of a tick is usually painless and the tick has to be attached to a person for at least 24 hours to transmit the disease.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Service also suggests people:
• use affective tick repellents.
• landscape homes and recreational areas to reduce the number of ticks.
• remove ticks slowly and gently, using thin-bladed tweezers. The goal is to pull the tick's head away from the skin.
• Check dogs and cats for ticks before allowing them inside.
- Times reporter Brian Gray and the Associated Press contributed to this article.