State officials urge deer hunters to be aware of ticks

MADISON (WITI) -- Deer hunting season is upon us in Wisconsin and the state Department of Health Services (DHS) is urging hunters to be aware of blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, when they are out in heavily wooded areas.

While the risk of acquiring a tickborne illness is highest from spring through summer when ticks are most active, people should still be concerned about tick activity into late autumn, especially if the weather is warm. Recent tick surveillance conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison found significantly larger populations of ticks in the north, central, and eastern regions of Wisconsin during 2013.

To date, there have been five tickborne diseases identified in Wisconsin that occur following bites of blacklegged ticks. These diseases include Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, and Powassan virus disease. While Lyme disease is the tickborne illness most people are aware of, during 2012 DHS received over 600 reports of non-Lyme disease tickborne illnesses. Tickborne illnesses can result in mild symptoms that require out-patient treatment to severe infections that require hospitalization, or if left untreated can lead to long term health issues or even death.

“Everyone should take precautions to prevent tick bites when they spend time outdoors, and this is especially true for hunters in the woods,” said Dr. Henry Anderson, State Health Officer. The key to preventing tickborne diseases is to avoid tick bites, and to find and remove ticks promptly, Anderson noted.

The following steps can help deer hunters prevent tick bites and reduce the chance of getting tickborne diseases:

For more information about the tickborne infections listed above, visit: http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/communicable/TickBorne/index.htm

For information on insect repellents: http://cfpub.epa.gov/oppref/insect/