KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Health officials say a lone star tick has been identified in Kalamazoo County.
Lone star ticks are typically located in the eastern, southeastern and south-central portions of the U.S. but have been known to occur in southern Michigan.
According to the Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services Department, lone star ticks have a distinctive white “lone star” marking on their backs. Lone star ticks will readily bite people and animals.
Health officials say lone star ticks aren’t known to be vectors of Lyme disease, but they are known to cause Alpha-Gal syndrome, which is an allergic reaction associated with the consumption of red meat.
The tick is also a vector of human ehrlichiosis, tularemia, Heartland virus, Bourbon virus, and Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI).
The lone star tick was identified during a routine tick drag on May 20 in Kalamazoo County. County health officials say tick drags are being performed this summer by Environmental Health to capture and identify blacklegged ticks which are known to transmit Lyme disease.
“Preventing tick bites is essential to preventing tick-borne disease, including using insect repellant with DEET and performing tick checks on yourself, children, and pets,” says Lucus Pols, Environmental Health Division chief.
Here are steps Kalamazoo County health officials say you can take to prevent tick-borne and mosquito-borne diseases:
• Empty and wash all outdoor containers that collect water (small pools, feeding bowls, open rain collection barrels, buckets, birdbaths, etc.) at least once a week.
• Keep swimming pools properly treated to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds.
• Keep trash containers properly covered.
• Use and repair screens on your home windows.
• Wear tall socks, pants and long sleeves when outdoors, especially from dusk to dawn.
• Use insect repellent with DEET and registered by the EPA on skin and treat clothing with permethrin to repel biting insects. Always follow label directions.
You can use theCDC tick bite data tracker to see the latest tick bite data by region.
For moreinformation about ticks, visit the CDC website.
Michigan's 5 Most Common Ticks by WXMI on Scribd
