Majority of Wisconsin deer ticks tested carry Lyme disease bacteria
A Marshfield Clinic-led study through the Tick Inventory via Citizen Science found that 51% of 707 non-engorged adult female deer ticks tested in 2024 carried Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, with additional data from 2024–25. Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in the Upper Midwest, and ticks can carry other pathogens; climate shifts are expanding tick ranges, increasing human exposure risk; researchers emphasize mapping pathogen prevalence to guide public health responses.