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La Crosse County counts seven cases of Lyme disease in 2019

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Lyme disease is transferred from the blacklegged tick known commonly as the deer tick.

Tick season is still crawling among Midwest residents. The La Crosse County Health Department said they have confirmed seven cases of Lyme disease so far in 2019.

As people enjoy the final weeks of summer or prepare for fall hunting, Public Health Nurse Jo Foellmi gave a reminder to cover up and use tick repellent.

“We would really like people to if they find a tick on them to keep it and put it in a little baggy because if they do get sick in the next couple of months, they can bring that tick in with them, and it helps the doctor better determine what could be affecting them,” Foellmi said.

The symptoms of Lyme disease include fever, headache, fatigue and a skin rash. Lyme disease is transferred from the blacklegged tick known commonly as the deer tick.

The county tracked 18 cases of Lyme disease in 2018, but Foellmi said it is commonly seen during the hunting seasons. She noted some cases may be flareups from a previous illness.

“Once you have it, it never completely leaves the body,” Foellmi said. “It just goes dormant after treatment.”

Foellmi said although it is most prevalent, Lyme disease is not their only concern. The health department also confirmed cases of Anaplasmosis and have a suspect case of Ehrlichiosis. Anaplasmosis is also commonly spread by blacklegged tick and symptoms include fever, headache, chills and muscle aches. Both the lone star tick and the blacklegged tick are blamed for Ehrlichiosis by the Center for Disease Control. Symptoms are fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and sometimes upset stomach.

Foellmi said those going into the woods should take precaution by covering exposed skin and using tick repellent.

Kaitlyn Riley’s passion for communications started on her family’s dairy farm in Gays Mills, Wis. Wanting to share agriculture’s story, she studied strategic communications and broadcast journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In college, she held officer positions with the Association of Women in Agriculture and Badger Dairy Club while volunteering as a news reporter for the college radio station. She also founded the university’s first agricultural radio talk show, AgChat. In her professional career, Kaitlyn has worked in radio, print and television news doing everything from covering local events to interviewing presidential candidates, and putting back on her barn boots to chat with farmers in the field. Today, Kaitlyn can be seen covering local stories that matter to you in the La Crosse area.

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