Green Bay Reporter

Wisconsin hospitals are seeing an "uptick" of people infected by various diseases that come from suborder Ixodida.

Health officials are reporting an increase in not just tick-based Lyme disease, but other diseases borne by ticks such as Anaplasmosis, Ehrlichiosis, and some others, according to WBAY. 

"Tick borne diseases may be on the rise, but with a few simple steps, you can help to ensure that you’re not next," Sen. Rob Cowles (R-WI) said in a tweet on July 3. "Ticks shouldn’t stop you from spending time outdoors, but they are something to keep in mind." 

The recent increase in cases and the presence of ticks may be due to people’s increased time outside since the pandemic, and an increase in the length of tick season over the past few decades. 

The Department of Health and Safety said that Wisconsin has been and still is one of the top states for ticks and resulting Lyme disease cases. 

“Whenever we look at nationwide data for ticks and (tick-borne) illnesses, Wisconsin is always close to the top,” Dr. Joseph McBride, UW Health Infectious Disease Specialist told WBAY. 

Ticks are parasites that survive off of feeding on the blood of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. 

Potential symptoms of a tick-borne illness include a red spot or rash where the tick bit, pain or inflammation where the bite was, blisters, difficulty breathing, neck stiffness, full-body rash, headache, nausea, weakness, joint or muscle pain, a fever, chills and swollen lymph nodes. 

McBride explained the surge in the area of ticks. 

“A lot of this is due to people’s outdoor activities but also with some of the warming that we’re seeing," McBride told WBAY. "The seasonality of ticks is increasing throughout the year so tick season will start a little bit earlier and end later than it had been 20 or 30 years ago."