Dear Healthcare Provider, 

The incidence and variety of tick-borne illnesses found in Illinois are increasing. Preliminary 2022 data in Lake County, IL, show that there were multiple types of tickborne diseases diagnosed in county residents. Specifically, there were 21 Lyme disease cases diagnosed followed by 5 anaplasmosis cases and <5 babesiosis case. To date, approximately 31% of all deer ticks collected in Lake County have tested positive for Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease and other diseases identified in ticks include: Borrelia miyamoto, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia microti. Habitat and range of ticks are always expanding, and the presence of new ticks and tick-borne diseases is a concern.  

It is important for healthcare providers to stay current with tickborne disease training and know the proper techniques to identify, test, and treat a variety of tickborne diseases. There is an upcoming webinar on tick-borne diseases taking place on Wednesday, February 1st, 2023, from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.. This live webinar will review:

Please call the LCHD Communicable Disease program at (847) 377-8130, option 1 with any questions or to report any cases of known or suspected tickborne or mosquito-borne diseases.  

Please call the LCHD Environmental Health program at (847) 377-8009 with any questions about tick identification or tick and mosquito prevention.