The Arrival of Tick Season in North Dakota

The beginning of spring marks the arrival of tick-borne disease season in North Dakota. Areas that are heavily wooded, have tall grass or have brush are more likely to be tick infested, especially between April and September, with the highest risk of disease transmission during the warmer months.

You can prevent tick-borne diseases be taking the following precautions:

• Avoid tick-infested areas. Avoid wooded and bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter. If you are in tick infested areas, walk in the center of trails to avoid contact with overgrown grass, brush and leaf litter at trail edges.

• Use insect repellent. Use repellents that contain 20 percent or more of DEET on exposed skin. You can also treat clothes and gear, such as tents, with permethrin.

• Wear protective clothing. Wear long pants and long sleeves to help keep ticks off of your skin. Wear light-colored clothing to make ticks easier to spot.

Tick-borne diseases that are reportable to the North Dakota Department of Health include tularemia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, babesiosis and Lyme disease. Tularemia and RMSF are transmitted by the dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis). Other tick-borne diseases such as ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, babesiosis and Lyme disease are transmitted by the deer tick (Ixodes scapularis).

Provisional data for 2012 include 14 cases of Lyme disease, one RMSF, three tularemia, and three anaplasmosis cases reported to the North Dakota Department of Health. For more information about tick-borne disease in North Dakota or to order free tick-borne illness educational materials, visit the tick-borne disease website at www.ndhealth.gov/disease/tickborne/.

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Copyright © 2010 North Dakota Department of Health

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