Tick population growing

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - The tick population is growing, and health officials are warning people to be careful outdoors

If you plan to go hiking, camping, or walking natures trails, health experts are asking people to be on the lookout for tick bites

This year’s tick population is expected to be higher than normal. Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease but is not the only one. Ticks can carry several other diseases like Rocky Mountian Fever that can be deadly.

“There’s typically less than 5,000 cases per year in the United States,” said Bobby Goeman, a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner with Sanford Health. “But kids account for about six percent of those cases, but they actually account for about 25 percent of the fatality rate.”

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