The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting the highest rate of tick-bite cases in more than five years, and Illinois doctors are urging people to take preventive measures to curb being infected by these pests. Ticks, mosquitoes, and fleas cause vector-borne illnesses that can include viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections.
Dr. Sindhu Aderson, Central Region medical director, Northwestern Immediate Care, noted that while the Midwest typically has significant tick activity, they’re observing an unusual increase in tick bites in urban areas such as downtown Chicago. That’s something she hasn’t seen in previous years.
"Anecdotally, I live in the heart of the city, and my neighbor's like, ‘I just pulled a tick off from my kid who was just outside in our courtyard.’ So, we are seeing that, and that's kind of unusual," she said.
With ticks being spotted outside of their typical wooded and high-grass, bushy environments, Aderson stressed prevention is key, and recommended using insect repellent containing DEET, wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants when spending time outdoors, checking yourself, your kids, and pets for ticks, and showering after returning home from outdoor activities.
One of the most common tick-borne illnesses is Lyme disease, which can cause neurological and cardiac complications if left untreated. Celebrities have been vocal about their battles with it. Recently, Justin Timberlake announced that a Lyme disease diagnosis caused him to cancel and postpone a number of shows during his recent world tour.
Dr. Richard Ginnetti is a primary-care physician at OSF HealthCare and said he has seen a significant increase in cases in his 40-year career and stresses the severity of complications if left untreated.
"If you're ill, they all present very similar, very nonspecific – headaches, fevers, chills. It could be 20 things, right? So I think that if you have a tick exposure, a tick bite, and then three days, seven days, ten days later, you don't feel well, maybe it's time to see a health-care provider," he explained.
Tick bites and subsequent illnesses have been on the rise because of climate change. Fewer ticks are dying off with shorter and warmer winters. Experts say most people don’t realize that ticks transmit more viruses and diseases than any other animal in the world, making the rapid increase in population a serious public health concern.
