Tick season brings Lyme disease fears

The warm weather we've all been waiting for is arriving, and people won't be the only ones stretching their legs this weekend.

The tick season is upon us, and health officials are urging residents to take precautions to minimize exposure to the insects, which can carry Lyme disease and other illnesses.

The Lake County Health Department and the Lake County Forest Preserve District have initiated a tick survey to get a grasp on the prevalence of deer ticks, the species that can carry Lyme disease, in Lake County.

Mike Adam, senior biologist with the Health Department, said that past surveys have never turned up a tick infected with Lyme disease in Lake County, but the discovery of two deer ticks by forest preserve employees last year led to a call for a new survey.

"This is the time of year when ticks will be most active, looking for a blood meal," Adam said. "I think people should take precautions. Just being aware of it for yourself and your family."

Adam said have been 34 reported cases of Lyme disease involving Lake County residents over the past 10 years, but it isn't clear how many of them, if any, picked up the disease locally.

There are two species of ticks in Lake County, the American dog tick and the deer tick. Dog ticks are one-quarter-inch long as adults, much smaller as juveniles, and are dark reddish-brown with irregular silvery patterns on their back. Dog ticks do not carry Lyme disease. This species is the most common tick found throughout Illinois.

Deer ticks are much smaller, about one-eighth-inch as adults. These ticks are dark brown to bright red, have black legs and are rare in Lake County. Deer ticks can carry Lyme disease.

Symptoms of Lyme disease may include one or multiple "bull's-eye" rash or lesions (generally seven to 14 days after the tick has consumed a blood meal) accompanied by fever, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, and/or joint aches. If you experience any of the signs or symptoms seven days or more following a known tick bite, you should consult your physician and explain that you were bitten by a tick.