TICKED OFF | State experts warn of higher tick numbers, increased risk of disease

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment and a K-State parasite expert want northeast Kansas residents to be aware of higher-than-usual numbers of ticks this summer.

KDHE officials said earlier this week that the office has received more than 200 laboratory reports of tick-borne diseases statewide as of May 29. Officials said in a statement that the current figure is comparable to the numbers of tick-borne illnesses over the previous five years. The office also has received several reports of tick bites and complaints of high numbers of ticks, indicating a swell of tick activity earlier in the season this year.

K-State professor and parasitologist Brian Herrin told The Mercury that his student lab group is underway with its first year of a five-year tick surveillance project across eastern Kansas. The students are surveying areas along hiking trails near Kansas bodies of water and in more heavily wooded places. The students are using a special fabric about a meter in size to drag along brush and trail edges to trap the parasites. Herrin said they started in mid-March and have collected 100,000 ticks so far.

“Of those, probably 99,000 of them are the Lone Star tick,” Herrin said.

The most abundant tick in Kansas, the Lone Star can be found across the eastern two-thirds of the state. Herrin said ticks don’t like direct sunlight, nor do they thrive in dry conditions, so they are mostly found in brushy or wooded areas that typically receive more precipitation. Herrin said the timing of tick emergence in Kansas has sped up this year.

“We do know that their timing is really changing,” Herrin said. “Warmer temperatures earlier in the year increases the risk of ticks. Humans tend to venture outside when the weather is nice, and that creates more opportunities for interaction between ticks and humans.”

Herrin said the Lone Star tick has an interesting feature at the front of its body that allows it to sense carbon dioxide emissions. The CO2 receptors are so sensitive, he said, that the tick can “follow” a human by carbon dioxide exhalation.

“They’re out looking for you,” Herrin said. “We call that ‘questing,’ when the tick is waiting for a host to attach to. Not all ticks are like this, it’s truly a thing unique to the Lone Star tick.”

KDHE scientists have identified several incidents of people being infected with tickborne diseases in Kansas. The diseases are caused by bacteria that is transferred from the parasite tick to its host. A few examples found this summer in the Sunflower State include Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, the Heartland virus and the Bourbon virus, the latter two of which were found in humans.

Along with increased numbers of ticks and more reported cases of tickborne illnesses, KDHE officials are noticing a higher trend of West Nile virus cases in the state, with two cases of West Nile already reported in Kansas. West Nile virus is carried by mosquitoes, and cases occur every year, but typically start in late July or early August.

Mosquitos are most common at dawn and dusk and can breed in small amounts of standing water. Ticks are usually found at the edges of hiking trails, in tall grasses and in wooded areas.

Officials recommend taking a few steps to reduce the risk of tickborne and mosquito-borne illnesses, including using an EPA-registered insect repellant, wearing long pants or sleeves in heavily wooded areas, emptying standing water, and checking for ticks after spending time outdoors. Officials said ticks can most often be found around a person’s hair and ears, under their arms, around the waist, and the back of the knees.

For pet owners, KDHE officials recommend checking their fur if they’ve been outside, and consulting with their veterinarian for the most effective tick prevention products.