Lyme disease cases doubled last year in Ohio: What you should know about tick season

“Be aware when you’re out in areas where ticks can be (present),” said Dan Suffoletto, public information manager for Public Health - Dayton and Montgomery County.

Cases of diseases spread by ticks are being reported to the Ohio Department of Health more frequently in the past decade, with Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever being the most common. In 2023, there were 1,285 cases of Lyme disease reported statewide, according to state data, compared to 552 in 2022.

“They are caused by different bacteria that are carried by ticks,” Brittany Jamison, a family nurse practitioner with Premier Health Urgent Care, said.

Ticks get this bacteria from mammals like rodents, she said.

“Then, in turn, they bite humans, and that’s how it’s transmitted to humans,” Jamison said.

In Ohio, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick.

Lyme disease cases are increasing in Ohio as the range of blacklegged tick populations continues to expand in the state, according to the Ohio Department of Health. Encounters with this tick occur more frequently, particularly in the forest habitats preferred by this tick.

Most humans are infected through the bites of immature ticks calls nymphs, which are are tiny, less than 2 millimeters in size, and difficult to see.

Symptoms of Lyme disease can take anywhere from three to 30 days to appear after the tick bite occurs, the Ohio Department of Health says.

Late spring through mid-summer is the time of year when Ohioans are most at risk for contracting Lyme disease. Ticks are also most active in May and June, Jamison said.

All kinds of natural environments found in the Midwest can be conducive to ticks, such as hiking trails in areas with tall grass, lots of foliage and/or lots of trees.

For those hiking and spending time out in tall grasses and foliage, people can wear long pants to reduce the risk of ticks attaching to their legs, Suffoletto said. People can also wear repellent-treated clothing.

Swimming in natural water or playing along the riverbank can also lead to tick bites, Jamison said.

To reduce the chance of ticks being in people’s backyards, people can remove leaf litter, remove tall grasses and brush, mow the lawn frequently and stack wood neatly and in a dry area, Suffoletto said.

Anytime after outdoor activities, people should check for ticks.

“The best places that ticks love to hide are in warm, hairy, kind of hidden areas,” Jamison said.

Behind the ears, knees and arms are good places to check, she said, as well as where the hair meets the back of the neck.

People who wear tight clothing while outdoors should also be thorough in checking under the folds of the fabric.

“If you’re wearing, let’s say, leggings while you’re hiking, you definitely want to look in those folded, tight areas behind the knees (and) where the top of the pants meet your waistline because they can find these little, tiny, tight spaces and that’s where they really like to embed themselves,” Jamison said.

If someone finds a tick on their body, they should remove the tick by using tweezers and pulling the tick out by the head to try to remove the tick completely as possible, Suffoletto said.

Symptoms of Lyme disease can include a rash that starts as a red area near a tick bite and then can develop into a “bull’s eye” appearance as it grows, as well as headache, fever, chills, muscle pain, joint pain, and fatigue, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

“There are some long-term effects of Lyme disease, and these can be chronic fatigue, arrhythmias, insomnia, some (neurological problems), spatial paralysis, so there are some prolonged health risks to having untreated, undiagnosed Lyme disease,” Jamison said.

Most people do recover well from Lyme disease with a common, oral antibiotic, she said.