Wisconsin may not see the same spike in Lyme disease expected this year in the northeastern states.
Scientists in New York are projecting a large increase in Lyme disease cases in the eastern United States.
Their projection is based on a sharp increase there in the number of mice, which are often covered by ticks that carry Lyme disease.
Stay tuned for the latest news
Sign up for WPR's email newsletter.
Susan Paskevic, professor of entomology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, began checking Wisconsin sites in response to the news to see if that state's mouse population was also increasing.
“What we found was no indication except in the three places where we looked, that we had seen any kind of big spike last year that would indicate problems this year,” he said.
But he said even a typical year of Lyme disease cases in Wisconsin is worrisome because the disease that was once largely concentrated in northwestern Wisconsin has spread.
“(The ticks) have really moved into almost every patch of forest that we go and visit,” Paskewitz said. “We find them in Door County now, we find them down in Kenosha County, where there are forests.”
The Department of Health Services confirmed 1,300 cases of Lyme disease in 2015, with many more suspected cases.
The number of Lyme disease cases has increased as the state's climate has become warmer and wetter.
Because of that, Paskewitz said anyone spending time outdoors in Wisconsin this year should take precautions against ticks, such as using insect repellent repellent and conducting regular tick checks.
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.