State officials announced they have located in Lake County the first tick in the state to test positive for a rare bacterium, which can cause serious disease in humans.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced Friday that the state’s active tick surveillance system discovered the first tick in the state to test positive for Ehrlichia muris eauclairensis (EME).
EME is a bacteria transmitted by blacklegged tick bites that can cause human ehrlichiosis, a severe disease that can cause complications if not treated quickly.
IDPH’s Vector Control Program has issued a warning to healthcare providers in northern Illinois to be aware and on the lookout for ehrlichiosis.
State officials said ehrlichiosis can be easily treated with antibiotics, typically doxycycline, but can cause severe illness if left untreated.
The blacklegged tick, also called a deer tick, was collected on May 17 by Lake County Health Department staff who receive funding through IDPH’s Environmental Health Tick Surveillance Grant program.
The tick was recently tested and confirmed positive for EME by the CDC.
Along with ehrlichiosis, ticks submitted by IDPH to the CDC are tested for several diseases of human health importance, including Lyme disease, babesiosis, anaplasmosis and Borrelia miyamotoi disease.
The disease was first discovered in an Eau Claire County, Wisconsin, resident in 2009.
All known human cases of EME have occurred in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
In Illinois, ehrlichiosis is primarily seen in southern Illinois and spreads through the bites of infected Lone star ticks.
With the Lake County discovery, a second tick species is now known to spread ehrlichiosis in Illinois, the IDPH said.
Infected adult and young blacklegged ticks can spread EME to people.
Blacklegged ticks are commonly found in areas with woods, brush, leaf litter and tall grass.
Adult blacklegged ticks are active from October to December and any winter day above freezing.
“The discovery of the first tick in Illinois carrying EME, a rare and serious disease, is a great reminder of the importance of our active tick surveillance program in Illinois,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra.
“Tickborne illnesses such as Lyme disease and EME can cause severe illness, especially if untreated. Anyone who spends time in wooded areas or brush, including hunters, should be sure to check for ticks every few hours and remove any that you find,” Vohra said.
“If you experience common symptoms of tickborne illnesses – such as fever, sweats, chills, muscle aches, nausea or vomiting – see your healthcare provider immediately and let them know about tick exposure so that you can obtain testing and treatment that can prevent serious illness,” Vohra added.