What to know about Illinois’ uptick in ticks

Illinois has recently seen a rise in ticks.The Asian Longhorned Tick — an invasive species — has recently been located in Clay County, which marks the third county in the state in which this tick has been located. 

There's also been a reported case of Powassan virus disease, which is a tick-borne illness. Until now, it had never been reported in the state, though it's still not clear if the person became infected from an Illinois-based tick. A new study has identified hotspots of disease-carrying ticks across Illinois.

The head of Illinois's public health department as well as some science experts address safety concerns surrounding ticks and the diseases they carry.

GUESTS

Dr. Sameer Vohra 
Director, Illinois Department of Public Health

Becky Smith 
Associate Professor of Pathobiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Kristina Lopez 
Research Entomologist, North Shore Mosquito Abatement District