Illinois officials are urging residents to check themselves and their children carefully for ticks after spending time in wooded areas this spring.
The Illinois Department of Public Health announced that May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month. Ticks carry Lyme and other debilitating and sometimes fatal illnesses such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tularemia, Ehrlichiosis, and Babesiosis.
Removing ticks with 24 hours reduces the risk of disease. Instructions for tick removal and awareness of symptoms are available on the IDPH website.
Tick populations in your area can be monitored on the IDPH Tick Surveillance Mapping App.