Tick-borne diseases and illnesses: what you need to know

With the summer months here, mosquitoes can be a problem, but ticks can actually be the greater problem.

According to the Missouri Department of Health, in the United States, ticks are responsible for more human disease than any other insect.

According to Dr. Gordon Christensen, mosquitoes can be a problem in Mid Missouri, near lakes and standing water, but the greater problem is with ticks.

May and June are prime, “tick- birthing seasons.”

How do you know if you’ve been bitten by a tick? Tick bites are painless, so you won’t feel it but over time you will start to see a “bull’s- eye rash” and that’s when you will need to go to a doctor.

The best way to avoid ticks is to cover up, but with the heat during summer months- that can be nearly impossible. Dr. Christensen says that wearing light colored clothing will be helpful in spotting ticks, and regularly checking for them.

Using insect repellent that contains DEET on your skin will help protect you because the ticks ability to locate you become harder.

The most common tick borne diseases in Missouri are rocky mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, tularemia, Q Fever, Lyme/Lyme-like diseases.