Fight the Bite!

Help Fight the Bite in Wisconsin!

As any Wisconsin resident knows, ticks and mosquitoes are quite the nuisance. But more than just an annoyance, they can also spread many illnesses to people. Preventing bites from ticks and mosquitoes is the key step in avoiding these illnesses.

Ticks

The two types of ticks that most commonly bite people or pets in Wisconsin are the deer (black-legged) tick and the wood (dog) tick. A third type of tick that can bite people or pets in Wisconsin, the lone-star tick, is less common. Bites from all three of these ticks can make you sick. In Wisconsin ticks can spread anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Borrelia miyamotoi, ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan virus, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and tularemia. Illnesses spread by ticks can be prevented if you take the proper steps.

Mosquitoes

Not all of the 50+ species of mosquitoes in Wisconsin bite humans, but many of those that do can spread diseases. In Wisconsin, mosquitoes can spread Eastern equine encephalitis, Jamestown Canyon virus, La Crosse encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, and West Nile virus. There are also illnesses that you can get from mosquitoes when you travel outside of the United States. Some of these diseases are chikungunya, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, yellow fever, and Zika virus. Illnesses spread by mosquitoes can be prevented if you take the proper steps.