Lyme disease, human anaplasmosis, and babesiosis are three potentially serious diseases that can result from blacklegged tick (deer tick) bites in Minnesota. Record numbers of tick-borne disease cases were reported in Minnesota during 2007 (1,239 Lyme disease cases, 322 human anaplasmosis cases, and 24 babesiosis cases).

The high-risk season for these diseases is mid-May through mid-July, when the nymph stage of the blacklegged tick is active. Risk is greatest in woody, brushy areas in north-central, east-central and southeast Minnesota.

Tick bite prevention
When doing activities in wooded areas during the high-risk season, it is crucial to use tick repellents (DEET on skin or clothing; permethrin on clothing). Other important steps include wearing long pants and light-colored clothing, staying to the center of trails, and performing thorough tick checks to remove any attached ticks.

People who live on wooded property can also be exposed to disease-carrying ticks. To reduce tick numbers, homeowners should maintain their yard so that it is free of brush and leaves and set up areas of activity (garden, grill, play area, etc) in a sunny area of the yard. They can also use a pesticide targeted towards ticks.

More information on tick-borne disease epidemiology and diagnosis is available at 651-201-5414 or http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/dtopics/tickborne/index.html.

MDH epidemiologists are available to give tick-borne disease presentations to medical providers and other groups.