Lyme disease cases soaring

TIFFIN — Look out for ticks this year. Dealing with the blood-sucking insects is bad enough, but cases of Lyme disease spread by ticks have been soaring both locally and across Ohio. It's a good idea to know the risks and try to avoid being bitten, health officials warn. Lyme disease is spread by the black-legged tick, also known as the American deer tick. Ohio had only 37 cases of Lyme disease statewide in 2010, but that's gone up to 2,831 cases in 2025. "There's been a 48-fold increase in the number of Lyme disease cases in Ohio, and we are going to be considered a high-incidence state," says a new epidemiology report for the Erie County Health Department prepared by Taylor Kula, director of epidemiology for the health department. Tick bites apparently are going to be a big problem nationwide, according to the "Your Local Epidemiologist" Substack newsletter. "Tick season really is off to an unusually bad start. Emergency department visits for tick bites are running at roughly 114 per 100,000 people per week, nearly triple the typical rate at this time of year (44 per 100,000)," said the April 28 issue of the newsletter. "The Northeast is bearing the brunt of it, with the Midwest running a close second." Lyme disease can be a serious and unpleasant disease, particularly if it isn't treated, the CDC says. "Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system," the CDC's Lyme disease website says. Most cases can be treated successfully with antibiotics, but some cases are chronic and people endure symptoms for a long time. The disease can cause heart problems, even sometimes fatal ones. Kula recommends that people venturing outside protect themselves by wearing long-sleeved shirts, long-sleeved pants and high socks. Use a bug spray that targets ticks. If you are going for a hike, try to stick to a path instead of walking through the grass where ticks like to hang out. How to remove a tick The Erie County Health Department offers these instructions for tick removal: • Using fine-tipped tweezers if you have them, or at least regular tweezers, grab the tick close to the surface of your skin and pull away, using steady, even pressure. Don't twist or jerk the tweezers — you don't want the tick mouth parts to break off and remain in your skin. • Get rid of the tick by putting it in a sealed container (if you want to bring it in for a positive ID of the culprit), wrapping it tightly in tape, flushing it down the toilet or putting it in alcohol. But don't try to crush it with your fingers. • Clean the bite area, and your hands, with soap and water, rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. • Oh, and check your body (or somebody else's body) for more ticks. You may be a more generous insect host than you realize.