Washtenaw Lyme Disease Diagnoses at All-Time Highs: How to Prevent Tick Bites

From the Washtenaw County Health Department

The Washtenaw County Health Department is reminding residents to prevent tick and mosquito bites when enjoying the outdoors. Preventing tick bites is especially important: local cases of Lyme disease continue to increase, and most residents diagnosed with Lyme likely got the disease from ticks here in Washtenaw County.

“Anyone spending time outside can be exposed to tick- or mosquito-related illnesses, especially Lyme disease, which can be transmitted by local ticks,” says Kristen Schweighoefer, MPH, RS, Environmental Health Director for the Washtenaw County Health Department. “Last year, we had a record high number of cases of Lyme disease in Washtenaw residents.”

“Simple actions can you help avoid annoying tick and mosquito bites that can make you sick,” continues Schweighoefer. “Use EPA-approved repellents and make it a habit to check for ticks after being outside. If you find a tick attached to you, don’t panic: remove it immediately using tweezers and keep an eye out for any symptoms.”

What to do if you are bitten by a tick

If you find a tick on you, your children, or your pets, remove it by using tweezers to grip the body firmly and pull straight out of the skin. Do not twist the tick. After removing the tick, clean the bite area and your hands. Lyme disease risk is very low if a tick has been attached for less than 24 hours. You do not need to keep the tick for testing. Dispose of it by flushing down the toilet.

“It isn’t always easy to diagnose Lyme disease, but early detection and treatment with antibiotics can prevent severe illness,” continues Schweighoefer. “If you have symptoms like a rash, fever, headache, fatigue, muscle pain, or joint stiffness after spending time outside or having a tick on you, contact a health care provider right away. Not all cases of Lyme disease have the ‘bullseye’ rash commonly associated with Lyme, so get checked out even if you don’t have a rash.”

Local data

Most Washtenaw residents diagnosed with Lyme disease were likely exposed by an infected tick here in the County (85% in 2025). There were 237 cases of Lyme disease diagnosed in residents in 2025. This is a 65% increase from 2024 (143 cases), and the highest number of cases we have ever had in one year.

Lyme disease is the most reported vector-borne disease in the United States. Climate change helps ticks thrive, so we expect to continue seeing higher levels of Lyme disease in our community.

There is also a smaller risk of mosquito-borne illnesses in Washtenaw County. In 2025, we identified West Nile virus and Jamestown Canyon virus in local mosquitoes. No human cases of either illness were reported. There hasn’t been a human case of West Nile virus detected in Washtenaw County since 2018.

Additional vector-borne disease data is available on our Communicable Disease Data webpage. More detailed Lyme disease data is on our Lyme and Ticks webpage. We expect to publish a 2025 Washtenaw County Lyme Disease Data Brief in the coming weeks.

Tracking local mosquitoes and ticks

The Health Department is participating in the Vector-Borne Disease Surveillance Program again this year, in partnership with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). The Health Department will collect and identify mosquitoes and ticks to help understand local disease risk and contribute data to the statewide tracking system.

Staff will be conducting “tick drags” in several locations to collect ticks for identification and Lyme disease testing. Ticks of interest include deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis, also known as the blacklegged tick), which can spread Lyme and other diseases, as well as lone star ticks, which can cause alpha-gal syndrome.

Later in May, Health Department staff will set up mosquito traps throughout the County. Mosquitoes of interest include Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, Culiseta melanura, and Coquillettidia perturbans, which can transmit Zika and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus, as well as other diseases. Mosquito traps will have Health Department signage. Residents are asked to please not disturb any traps found in the community.

Preventing tick bites

• Check for ticks after being outside. Check under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, and especially in the hair.
• Use insect repellent with 20% or more DEET or other ingredients shown to be effective against ticks, and follow label instructions. You can also treat clothing/gear with permethrin.
• Wear long sleeves, pants, shoes, and socks when outdoors.
• Avoid wooded and bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter. Walk in the center of trails.
• Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming inside from outdoor activities and tumble dry clothing on high heat for 10 minutes.
• Examine gear and pets for ticks. Ticks can also attach to dogs and cats – do tick checks on pets regularly and talk with your veterinarian about prevention medication.

Preventing mosquito bites

• Use insect repellent with 20% or more DEET or other ingredients shown to be effective against mosquitoes, and follow label instructions. You can also treat clothing/gear with permethrin.
• Wear long sleeves, pants, shoes, and socks when outdoors.
• Repair screens to keep mosquitoes out of your home.
• Get rid of standing water around your home and yard so mosquitoes don’t have places to breed. Once a week, empty flowerpots, barrels, and other items that can hold water.

Tick identification

MDHHS offers tick identification based on photos at no charge for Michigan residents. To submit a photo of a tick for identification, email the photo to MDHHS-Bugs@michigan.gov according to these instructions.

MDHHS does not offer tick testing because the results do not predict infection. Instead, if you are bitten by a tick, monitor for symptoms such as rash, fatigue, fever, headache, muscle pain, or joint swelling/pain occurring within 30 days of the latest tick bite and/or spending time outdoors in an area with ticks. Some Lyme disease patients do not recall having a tick bite. Seek prompt medical attention if you develop any of these symptoms.

Washtenaw County Health Department

The Washtenaw County Health Department promotes health and works to prevent disease and injury in our community. Our mission is to assure, in partnership with the community, the conditions necessary for people to live healthy lives through prevention and protection programs.

Local public health information and updates are always available at washtenaw.org/health. The Health Department also provides frequent social media updates (@wcpublichealth) and sends regular email newsletters, sign up at bit.ly/WCHD555.

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