The city of Lake Forest is moving its day camp from McCormick Nature Preserve due to concerns over ticks.
About 35 to 40 percent of deer ticks countywide carry Lyme disease, said Mike Adam, a senior biologist with the Lake County Health Department. He found the same percentage of ticks with Lyme disease in McCormick Nature Preserve this spring, he said.
Sally Swarthout, director of parks, recreation and forestry for Lake Forest, said staff decided to move the day camp “until the problem could be mitigated.”
The day camp, which has been operating for at least 30 years and draws between 50 and 100 children, will move to Northcroft Park, 1365 S. Ridge Road, this summer, Swarthout said. The camp could move back to McCormick Nature Preserve next summer if it’s found safe, Swarthout said.
Lyme disease is transmitted through bites from infected ticks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms can include fever, headache and skin rash. If not treated, infection can spread to the joints, heart and nervous system.
“If left untreated, it can cause lifelong disability or death,” Adam said, although he added that death is rare.
Adam said that from 2013 to 2016, Lake County averaged 27 cases of Lyme disease per year, up from 6.7 cases per year from 2003 to 2005.
Adam said the number of deer ticks is increasing in Lake County, though it’s unclear why.
“It used to be centered in New York, Maine and Pennsylvania,” Adam said. “Now it’s in Maryland, Virginia and even creeping into Michigan. There’s something kind of bigger going on. Some think they hitch a ride on birds. It could be changes in climate. These deer ticks like woods, but they need a certain humidity level. It’s an area of ongoing research.”
The best way to remove a tick is by grabbing it with a tweezers and slowly but firmly pulling it out, Adam said. If the tick was attached for 24 to 36 hours, watch the site and consider seeing a doctor if there are any symptoms, Adam said.
He also recommends checking your clothes for ticks after being in wooded areas with undergrowth such as tall grass. If you find ticks, Adam suggests throwing the clothes in a dryer for 10-15 minutes at high heat. He also recommends checking pets, which can also contract Lyme disease or bring infected ticks into a house.
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