22.02.12
A tick known to be infected with lyme disease is becoming more prevalent in the state of Ohio, prompting officials to issue a warning to hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts to keep an eye out for it.
According to Richard Gary, a public health entomologist with the Ohio Department of Health, officials have been monitoring the black-legged tick since it was first spotted in the state in 1989. Also known as the deer tick, not every black-legged tick is infected with lyme disease.
Gary explained that while the department does not have an active surveillance program for ticks like it has for mosquitoes, it does accept and identify ticks that people take to their local health departments.
He said it is usually the American dog tick that people turn in, which is the most common type of tick in Ohio.
In the last few years, though, the department has been receiving more and more black-legged ticks, he said.
"We've never received one from Washington County but we've gotten them from Monroe, Noble, Morgan and Meigs (counties) so there's no reason to believe they're not also in Washington County," Gary said. "If it becomes really common, we're worried it might lead to an increase in the incidence of lyme disease.
Source: Marietta Times