If you plan on exploring the outdoors this summer, make sure checking for ticks is part of your routine. According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Wisconsin had more than 5,300 cases of Lyme disease in 2022. Lyme disease, known for causing people to suffer from fever, chills, fatigue, muscle aches, and other side effects, is caused when ticks bite into a host. The average number of reported cases has more than doubled in the last 15 years, and DHS officials believe cases could be even higher because many go unreported. DHS data shows Door County has a rate of 150-234 cases per 100,000 residents, higher than neighboring Brown and Kewaunee counties but lower than the rates seen in Marinette and Oconto counties. There were 50 cases in 2022, compared to 14 in Kewaunee County and more than 200 in Brown County. Last month, Kewaunee County Public Health Director Cindy Kinnard said there are ways you can help prevent ticks from latching onto you.

If you notice a tick on you, the Centers for Disease Control encourages you to use clean, fine-tipped tweezers to grab the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible and pull it straight up. The Humane Society of the United States also encourages you to check your dogs or ticks as they are susceptible to bites and could get just as sick, if not worse.