3 ms·

I also live in the Ozarks. Pretty sure that the ticks that bear Lyme disease bacteria are practically non-existent in the Ozarks. They're more relegated to the

I also live in the Ozarks. Pretty sure that the ticks that bear Lyme disease bacteria are practically non-existent in the Ozarks. They're more relegated to the North East. Not to downplay the importance of tick checks and other prevention techniques.

liopleurodon 7y ago
The midwest is pretty infested too. Especially parts of WI and MN
ourlordcaffeine 7y ago
As a FYI, Slovenia is also a lyme disease hotspot. Do tick checks, wear long sleeve shirts and tuck trousers into your boots and your shirt into your trousers. Don't give the ticks any opportunity to crawl onto your skin.
alexhutcheson 7y ago
This is correct - you can confirm from the CDC charts here: https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/datasurveillance/maps-recent.html https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/datasurveillance/maps-recent.html Note that cases are reported by state of residence, so even the handful of cases in Arkansas and Missouri are probably attributable to travel to the upper Midwest or Northeast. However, the Ozarks do have a high incidence of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, so you should still be careful about preventing tick bites and removing them ASAP: https://www.cdc.gov/rmsf/stats/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/rmsf/stats/index.html
oblib 7y ago
One of my nearest neighbor's kids got it here. He had the classic "ring" around the bite and the tick was fairly well gorged and swollen when they pulled it off. So it's here. But that family moved here from Indiana so they didn't grow up with the tradition of daily tick checks like folks living in rural areas here do. But, damn, that map showing the incidents in the eastern States is sure impressive. It would be interesting to study the tradition of "tick checks" here and there to get an idea of how that might affect those numbers.
projektfu 7y ago
The situation is similar to Georgia. The tick (Ixodes scapularis) is present, as are white-tailed deer, but the ecology is different. One theory is that the tick prefers lizards over white-footed mice and lizards are not a competent host for Borelia bergdorferi.

liopleurodon 7y ago

The midwest is pretty infested too. Especially parts of WI and MN

ourlordcaffeine 7y ago

As a FYI, Slovenia is also a lyme disease hotspot. Do tick checks, wear long sleeve shirts and tuck trousers into your boots and your shirt into your trousers. Don't give the ticks any opportunity to crawl onto your skin.

alexhutcheson 7y ago

This is correct - you can confirm from the CDC charts here: https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/datasurveillance/maps-recent.html https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/datasurveillance/maps-recent.html Note that cases are reported by state of residence, so even the handful of cases in Arkansas and Missouri are probably attributable to travel to the upper Midwest or Northeast. However, the Ozarks do have a high incidence of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, so you should still be careful about preventing tick bites and removing them ASAP: https://www.cdc.gov/rmsf/stats/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/rmsf/stats/index.html

oblib 7y ago

One of my nearest neighbor's kids got it here. He had the classic "ring" around the bite and the tick was fairly well gorged and swollen when they pulled it off. So it's here. But that family moved here from Indiana so they didn't grow up with the tradition of daily tick checks like folks living in rural areas here do. But, damn, that map showing the incidents in the eastern States is sure impressive. It would be interesting to study the tradition of "tick checks" here and there to get an idea of how that might affect those numbers.

projektfu 7y ago

The situation is similar to Georgia. The tick (Ixodes scapularis) is present, as are white-tailed deer, but the ecology is different. One theory is that the tick prefers lizards over white-footed mice and lizards are not a competent host for Borelia bergdorferi.