FARGO (AP) -- State health officials say North Dakota has not seen an increase in tick-borne diseases, but neighboring Minnesota could see numbers near last year's -- when more cases of Lyme disease were reported than ever before.
Ken Nygard of Fargo spent time in the hospital after he was bitten by a deer tick while clearing brush in the woods behind his Minnesota lake home. Doctors at Fargo MeritCare admitted him to the hospital with a tick-borne disease called human anaplasmosis.
"I've gotten a little more paranoid about ticks," said Nygard, a professor of computer science at North Dakota State University.
Disease transmission by deer ticks peaks in June and into mid-July, when the ticks are most active.
"Once it's hot and dry, the risk goes down," said Melissa Kemperman, an epidemiologist at the Minnesota Department of Health.
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But deer ticks are more widespread, increasing the potential for more people to come in contact with them.
That could boost numbers to near last year's totals, when there were 913 cases of Lyme disease, 176 cases of human anaplasmosis and 18 cases of babesiosis. There were no deaths, Kemperman said.
Deer ticks that used to be found only in central Minnesota are now are being found farther west in such counties as Becker and Mahnomen, Kemperman said.
North Dakota, which has fewer wooded habitats that support deer ticks, has not seen an increase in tick-borne diseases, said Erin Fox, a state Health Department epidemiologist. But doctors at Fargo's MeritCare hospital say they are treating more cases.
"We're definitely seeing an increase in all tick diseases," said Dr. Augusto Alonto, an infectious disease specialist at MeritCare. Diseases transmitted by deer ticks typically peak in June and July, he said.
Patients infected with one of the diseases also have a chance of being infected with one of the other two, he said. The deer tick, which is not the same as the more common wood tick, must be attached at least 12 hours to transmit a disease.
Jerry Rawley, 60, lives east of Waubun, Minn., in a wooded area. In May, he found a deer tick burrowed into his skin. Two weeks later, he became so sick that his wife took him to the emergency room twice.
Rawley eventually was admitted to MeritCare, where he was diagnosed with human anaplasmosis. He felt better after a day on the proper antibiotic.
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He's still recovering but is more wary of tick bites.
"I make sure I check myself thoroughly for any ticks," he said. "You need to pay attention to the little critters."
Health officials suggest using a tick repellent and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants tucked into the tops of socks or boots to create a "tick barrier." They advise people to check frequently for ticks and remove them slowly, using tweezers.
