Spring Has Sprung—so Tick Season Is Just Getting Started

Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever may get the lion’s share of the headlines, but in reality there are any number of tick-borne illnesses that can accompany tick bites and burrowing. That’s part of the message a ProMedica Urgent Care for Kids nurse practitioner  wanted to impart when she participated in an article published by The Blade in Toledo, OH recently. While it may not surprise you, her explanation that the type of illness likely to be carried by ticks depends largely on region was probably of great interest and benefit to area residents. In Ohio, for example, the risk for Lyme disease is relatively low compared with the East Coast. What is important to stress to urgent care providers is that with spring in full bloom people are heading outside in growing numbers, making for a fertile feeding ground for ticks and other parasitic creatures. Ensure your staff and your supply closet are ready to assess and treat. JUCM published an article that could be helpful in this regard. You can read Urgent Care Diagnosis and Management of Tick-Borne Diseases in our archive now.