May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month and the latest state data show Wisconsin recently recorded the highest number of Lyme disease cases in state history.

Experts are urging residents to be mindful of the ticks carrying it as they become more active across the state. There are 16 confirmed tick species in Wisconsin and experts are focused on the "black-legged tick," or "deer tick," in the transmission of Lyme disease. Experts recommended taking preventive measures when spending time outdoors like wearing protective clothing and using insect repellent. They added you should perform tick checks and shower after any outdoor activity.

Dr. Xia Lee, public health entomologist at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, said some ticks, especially younger ones, may be harder to spot.

"Those are usually the ones that we associate with a lot of the cases of Lyme disease or tick-borne diseases, most active in June and July," Lee explained. "This is also reflected in the number of people who go into the emergency department or go into the physician for tick bite-related illness."

The number of reported Lyme disease cases has tripled over the past 15 years, according to state data. Lee noted the Wisconsin Department of Health Services conducts surveillance and tracking of ticks for the public, including a tick identification service and a dashboard reporting ER visits for tick bites.

Deer ticks have spread from northwestern Wisconsin to every county in the state over the past 30 years. Experts said changes in land use, wildlife management and the environment have helped spread the disease.

PJ Liesch, entomologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said the deer tick is a generalist feeder and can be found on many small mammals, in addition to deer. He added the increasing prevalence of the species has led to an emerging health threat.

"They are still spreading outwards," Liesch pointed out. "They seem to be moving into newer areas, in some cases that can be more like suburban backyards, areas where we haven't seen them historically. And they're still potentially expanding and we don't know when they are going to stop."

Liesch stressed if you are bitten by a tick in Wisconsin, there's about a 50-50 chance it is carrying Lyme disease. He emphasized the risk of Lyme disease transmission increases with the duration of tick attachment, which is why prevention and detection are so important.

"That's a pretty high rate of infectivity, kind of a scary number," Liesch acknowledged. "Even if you have a deer tick that is Lyme-positive, if you are checking yourself and making sure they are not attached to you for very long, that's going to greatly reduce the chances of transmission."

Some early symptoms of Lyme disease include fever, headache, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, joint and muscle pain and a rash. If left untreated, more complicated conditions can develop.


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More St. Louis County libraries are teaming up with the American Heart Association to offer blood pressure cuffs for checkout, to help people take charge of their health.

Library branches have 100 "Libraries at Heart" kits available to check out. They include a blood pressure cuff, instructions, a tracking sheet, and information on how to manage blood pressure.

Cidney Grimes, community impact manager for the Missouri Chapter of the American Heart Association, explained why they chose libraries for this potentially life-saving initiative.

"The library is a great place to meet people where they are," said Grimes. "The libraries already have the trust of the communities. They're already doing so much community-focused work, and people are already going to be there."

Grimes said the kits can be used at the library kiosk or checked out for home use. The program is supported by a corporate sponsor, Edward Jones.

According to the American Heart Association, nearly half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, and many either don't know it or have it under control.

The Heart Association also warns that unmanaged high blood pressure puts extra strain on the heart, arteries, and organs - raising the risk for health problems like heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease.

Grimes emphasized that people monitoring their own blood pressure should take two readings, at least one minute apart, and ensure their posture is correct.

"Make sure you're sitting straight up in the chair," said Grimes. "Your feet are touching the ground and you're just calm. You haven't drunk any alcohol or any beverages, anything like that, within 30 minutes of you taking the measurement."

High blood pressure doesn't affect everyone equally. About 56% of Black adults have it, compared to 48% of white adults and 39% of Hispanic adults.

The numbers are even higher for Black women, at around 58%.

Kentucky's newly established Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board convenes for its first meeting this week - on Wednesday June 25th. Lawmakers established the board, which includes citizens, during the 2025 legislative session.

Experts say educating the public on Medicaid is critical amid ongoing threats to cut federal funding for the program.

Dr. Sheila Schuster, licensed psychologist and executive director of the Advocacy Action Network, said Medicaid is the largest source of health care in Kentucky, but few know how it works.

"To really get into the nitty gritty, beyond just the money, but what are the programs?" said Schuster. "How are they run? Who are the providers? Do we have enough providers? How do we keep our healthcare facilities, again, the hospitals, the nursing homes."

The board will dig deep into state Medicaid spending, recommend policies, and stay on top of how federal decisions could impact Kentucky's Medicaid access.

Congress is considering cuts that could affect more than $1 billion in funding for Kentucky Medicaid, but legislators don't need to reduce coverage - said Emily Beauregard, executive director of Kentucky Voices for Health.

"There's a lot we can do to remove wasteful spending on red tape and excessive paperwork from the system without cutting coverage for anyone," said Beauregard, "without reducing services or lowering provider reimbursement rates."

Schuster added that the economic benefits of Medicaid for Kentucky can't be understated.

"Medicaid is a state and federal partnership," said Schuster, "and because we're a poor state, we put up roughly 28 cents and get back 72 cents from the feds to buy every $1 of health care."

Health care providers in eastern Kentucky's fifth congressional district receive more Medicaid funding, as a share of the local economy, than those in any other district, according to the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy.




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Gov. Greg Abbott has until June 22 to sign or veto Senate Bill 3, which would ban consumable THC products in Texas.

Banning items like vapes and gummies were a priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick during the legislative session. He said he would call a special session if a bill was not drafted. Patrick argued retailers are selling products with unsafe levels of THC to minors.

Morgan Deany's family owns a hemp farm in east Texas. She said her family switched from growing commercial chickens to hemp to provide a product that could help people suffering from different ailments.

"We wanted to make something to give back to animals and to people that was a healthy alternative versus the usual pharmaceutical products," Deany explained. "Hemp is so good for CBD."

Lawmakers authorized the sale of consumable hemp in 2019. Since then, thousands of cannabis dispensaries have opened across the state. The industry generates around $8 billion a year and has created approximately 50,000 jobs.

The bill has received pushback from both sides of the political aisle. Many THC users, including veterans, testified they use the products to ease chronic pain and anxiety. Patrick contended consumers, especially children, are buying products with dangerous amounts of THC but Deany countered it is not what they experienced.

"It came with some controversy," Deany acknowledged. "We had planes and helicopters flying over our property thinking that we were growing marijuana. Then we had to send off samples of our plants, pretty frequently, to make sure that it stayed underneath a certain level of THC."

If the governor doesn't sign or veto the measure, it will automatically become law.


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