(Kansas Reflector) Kansas residents are being reminded to take precautions against ticks as emergency rooms across much of the United States have reported higher- than-usual tick bite-related visits this spring.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 137 of every 100,000 emergency room visits in the Midwest in April were related to tick bites. By May, Midwest emergency rooms had seen 332 tick bite-related visits per 100,000 visits in 2026, putting the region on pace to surpass the 628 visits per 100,000 recorded in 2025.
Kansas Department of Health and Environment data also shows tickborne illnesses have been tracking higher in recent years, following a significant drop in 2020.
“While most tick bites do not result in illness, tick bite prevention remains the most effective way to reduce the risk of disease,” said Erin Petro, Kansas’ state public health veterinarian, in an April news release.
The most frequently reported tickborne illness in Kansas is ehrlichiosis, a group of diseases most often spread by lone star and blacklegged ticks. Those are two of the four common tick species found in Kansas, along with the American dog tick and the Gulf Coast tick.
Kansas ticks can also transmit anaplasmosis, Lyme disease, Rocky (See Tick-borne illnesses, Page 2) Mountain spotted fever, tularemia and alpha-gal syndrome. Alpha-gal syndrome, which is most often associated with the lone star tick, can cause a red meat allergy that may become life-changing for those affected. Kansas tracks the other tickborne illnesses, but not alpha-gal syndrome.
Over the past 10 years, tick-borne illness numbers in Kansas have fluctuated. KDHE data shows 311 cases in 2019, followed by a drop to 80 in 2020. Since then, annual totals have ranged from 111 to 156 cases. While ehrlichiosis has been the most commonly reported tick-borne illness in Kansas during the past five years, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, also known as spotted fever rickettsioses, was the most common before 2020.
Health officials recommend taking simple precautions when outdoors. KDHE advises using insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Wearing long sleeves and long pants, tucking pants into socks, and walking in the center of trails also can help reduce the chance of tick bites.
Alison Hinckley, an epidemiologist and Lyme disease expert with the CDC’s vector-borne diseases division, said EPA-registered insect repellents and permethrin-treated clothing can help prevent bites. She also recommended checking for ticks after spending time outdoors and removing attached ticks as soon as possible.
“These simple steps can go a long way in protecting you and your family from diseases spread by ticks,” Hinckley said. “And if you develop a rash or fever in the days to weeks after a bite, or after being in an area with ticks, seek medical care promptly.”
Susan Nelson, clinical professor and veterinarian at the Kansas State University Hill’s Pet Health and Nutrition Center, also noted that regular grooming can help pet owners find and remove ticks from their animals.
KDHE recommends disposing of a tick after removal by flushing it down the toilet, placing it in alcohol or sealing it between two pieces of tape.