Wisconsin health officials urge safety precautions amid uptick in Lyme disease cases

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- They're small and they're mighty, and they're here in Wisconsin.

June marks the month where experts see "the most number of Lyme disease cases" in the state, which is a common tick-borne disease.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the state saw nearly 6,400 cases of Lyme disease in 2023 -- the highest on record.

The two most common species that bite people? Deer and wood ticks.

"About 50% of the adult ticks will be infected with the bacterium that causes Lyme disease," said Rebecca Osborn, a vector-borne disease epidemiologist with the DHS. "It has been found in parts of every Wisconsin county, so anybody living in the state, even living in Milwaukee or southern Wisconsin, can come into contact, unfortunately, with this tick."

Adult ticks are roughly the size of an apple seed, but nymphal ticks, or babies, are about the size of a poppyseed.

"They tend to go unnoticed for a longer period of time, and therefore they really can spread more disease than the adult ticks because they're just so small," Osborn said. "Even though the adult ticks are more likely to be infected, they're less likely to spread the germ because they're generally removed more quickly."

Kids ages five to 15 and adults over the age of 60 are at the highest risk of contracting the disease, but anyone with a bite could get sick.

That's why officials recommend taking preventative measures such as using bug spray, doing full body checks, and showering when you get home.

"Ticks can occur in Milwaukee, in the county and city area, as long as the area is suitable for ticks," Osborn said. "Continue to enjoy the outdoors but just try to include some of those prevention measures as you're thinking about and planning your activities outside."