John Lundy reported in the February 4th edition of the Duluth New Tribune that hikers and campers in the Arrowhead next spring may encounter the tick which carries Lyme disease and other pathogens. Previously the deer tick infected people south of Duluth, but Dr. Linda Van Etta of St. Lukes Hospital has confirmed well documented cases from the North Shore. Twenty years ago people felt safe from tick borne illness north of the St. Louis River. Today there are hot spots of infection up the Highway 61 corridor.
Dave Neitzel, a MN Department of Health epidemiologist, confirmed ticks in both Lake and Cook counties. Wether carried on tourists and their pets or moving in nature with climate change, the black legged tick and the diseases it carries are not welcome in the benign wilderness north of Lake Superior.
Now that deer ticks are confirmed here and spreading Lyme disease we have to be careful to prevent infection. The good news is the ticks do not immediately transmit the disease when they bite. The bad news the tick can be so small people may not realize they are bitten. Often a red "bullseye" mark may appear at the sight of contact, but this too may be missing or overlooked. Prevention is preferable to treatment.
Staying on paths and avoiding trail breaking will cut down on contact, as will not laying about in the grass. Pulling stockings over the pant cuffs helps, while some seal ankle and wrist with duct tape(c), by 3M. Of course your long sleaved shirt is tucked in a tight belt. Wearing light clothing helps spot the bugs, but truest and sure is a friend intimate enough to share tick inspection in the woods. A bit of attention will increase your enjoyment of the outdoors.
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