On the rise for the last 10 years, annually reported tick-related diseases in Florida have become so frequent that the state now ranks in the top 20 states for such diseases.
Researchers are still unsure of the reason behind the 150 percent increase, but many possible factors have been proposed as the cause, according to a UF News press release.
“What we do know is that ticks are very active in this area,” said Holly Donohoe, an assistant professor in the department of tourism, recreation and sport management and associate director of UF’s Tourism Crisis Management Institute.
The outdoor activities UF students might participate in, like tubing down the Ichetucknee River, put them at risk of getting tick bites, Donohoe said.
To decrease the risk of getting a tick bite, students should use bug spray that contains at least 20 percent of the insecticide DEET and wear long clothing, she said.
“But that is not always feasible in Florida because it is so hot,” she said.
If a tick does attach itself, students should remove it with tweezers, said Donohoe, then see a doctor immediately.
Early symptoms of tick-related illness usually resemble flu symptoms such as rashes, fatigue and headaches, said Donohoe.
Melanie Kropp, a 23-year-old first-year student in the dental hygiene program at Santa Fe College, said she takes extra precaution against ticks when she goes camping.
She is concerned about letting her dogs outside.
About four years ago, Kropp’s dog brought ticks into the house. The ticks laid eggs inside the paint on the walls, and the entire house had to be repainted, she said.
For concerned students, UF will be hosting an EPI Tick-Borne Disease Symposium on Thursday at 9 a.m. to discuss the issues surrounding the increase in tick-related diseases.
The symposium will feature speakers Dr. Glenn Morris, director of UF’s Emerging Pathogens Institute and Dr. Paul Mead, chief of epidemiology and surveillance for the Lyme disease program with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A version of this story ran on page 9 on 12/3/2013 under the headline "Tick-related diseases rising in Florida"
