Tick season is back, and state health officials are reminding you to take precautions if you're going into wooded or long grassy areas where they thrive.
Camping and hiking season is here and that means tick season. University of Minnesota Extension Educator Beth Berlin says being diligent can go a long way in avoiding diseases like Lyme Disease, human anaplasmosis and Powassan encephalitis.
An antibiotic used to treat Lyme disease is in short supply in Minnesota, forcing some clinics to scramble as the tick season arrives. Doxycycline is ordinarily cheap with many uses. It's been on the national drug shortage list since January because of manufacturing delays and rising demand.
Tick season also means Lyme disease season. Nicole Koll of Sartell says she has battled with the disease for years, seeing many doctors before getting correctly diagnosed.
Researchers who dragged sheets of fabric through the woods to snag ticks have created a detailed map pinpointing the highest-risk areas for Lyme disease.