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Health Department warns of tick bites and Lyme disease

May is National Lyme Disease Awareness Month, a time to focus on protecting your health and staying informed about tick-borne illnesses. The Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department reminds residents that Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, is the most common tick-borne illness in Michigan. Ticks are most active in spring and summer, and wooded, grassy, or brushy areas increase your risk of exposure. Early detection and prevention are key to avoiding Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections.

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Health Department reports spike in tick-borne diseases

The Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department (BLDHD) is notifying residents of an increase of tick-borne diseases in Benzie and Leelanau Counties within the last month. Since January 1, BLDHD reported 25 suspected or confirmed cases of Lyme Disease and three suspected or confirmed cases of Ehrlichiosis. Of the 25 cases of Lyme Disease, 14 cases have been diagnosed within the last month.

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Warming climate breeds ticks, disease, and caution

Tick bites and cases of tick-borne illnesses such as Lyme Disease and Anaplasmosis are increasing in northern Michigan, according to statistics from the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department and confirmed by local doctors and staff within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Leelanau County registered 14 cases of tick-born illness last year, more than doubling the previous year’s tally. Beyond statistics, the upward trend has proven tragic for this community. Glen Arbor lost popular realtor and ski coach John Peppler to a tick-born disease last August. National Lakeshore superintendent Scott Tucker said that one Park employee nearly died last year of Anaplasmosis caused by a tick bite that happened at a Sleeping Bear campground.

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Tick exposures on the rise; Health Department warns public

Springtime means more people head outdoors, which also means the chances of incidental human-tick interactions increase. Several kinds of ticks can carry dangerous bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Not all tick bites will make you sick, but tick-borne diseases do occur in Michigan, such as Lyme Disease, Anaplasmosis, Ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Babesiosis. Last year, the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department reported 34 suspected or confirmed cases of Lyme Disease and six suspected or confirmed cases of Ehrlichiosis.

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Remembering John Peppler, storied Glen Arbor realtor, Sugar Loaf skier, Vietnam veteran

John Peppler, a fixture in Glen Arbor for decades and an affable realtor with Coldwell Banker Schmidt Realtors, passed away on August 9 at age 75. He had spent months at Munson Hospital in Traverse City after contracting a tick-borne disease. 

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Ticks carrying Lyme disease have arrived in Leelanau County

The large brown American dog tick has been around for years. Although it is not benign to its hosts, there’s a new tick in the neighborhood whose bite can be much worse. The black-legged tick, better known as the “deer tick,” is new to Leelanau County.

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