Rhode Island researcher says more deer ticks this year

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP)
Don't be surprised if you've heard more stories about people getting Lyme disease this year.

That's because a University of Rhode Island tick researcher says deer tick numbers are way up in the state. The researcher, Thomas Mather, says his surveys show there were 85 percent more deer ticks this year than last year.

Also, tick abundance this year is 109 percent higher than the average level during the last 13 years.

There's more unsettling news: Mather says the peak of nymphal tick activity was extended into mid-July this year, so he thinks it's likely many people are experiencing Lyme disease symptoms now.

Typical symptoms of Lyme disease include joint pain, fatigue, fever and a bull's-eye rash.