Tulsa Health Department – Epidemiology Program
As temperatures rise this summer, so does the activity of two unwelcome visitors: ticks and mosquitoes. With Oklahoma experiencing a warmer, milder winter, public health agencies like the Oklahoma State Department of Health, and the Tulsa Health Department’s own Vector Control Program have reported a significant rise in tick activity and earlier mosquito emergence this season. According to Michael Morrison, THD Vector Control Program Coordinator, the heavy rain events and rise in temperature will contribute to an increase in local mosquito populations.
These pests aren’t just a nuisance—they can carry serious illnesses like Rocky Mountain spotted fever, West Nile virus, and Lyme-like Illnesses. In Oklahoma and the South Central U.S., several tick-borne illnesses—such as Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI), ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis—can mimic Lyme disease, even though Lyme itself is rarely diagnosed in this region. These illnesses share similar symptoms like fever, rash, fatigue, and muscle aches, and because current diagnostic tests may not detect all tick-borne pathogens, some cases are referred to as a “Lyme-like illness” when the exact cause remains unclear.
STARI, short for Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness, is one such condition. It describes cases where individuals develop Lyme-like symptoms—often including a bull’s-eye rash—after a bite from a Lone Star tick. While it is typically treated with antibiotics similar to those used for Lyme disease, the exact cause of STARI remains unknown and there is no specific test to confirm it.
Tularemia, another tick-borne disease more prevalent in Oklahoma than in most other states, is also a concern during the warmer months when outdoor activity increases the risk of exposure to infected ticks or animals.
What We’re Seeing Nationally and Locally
Across the U.S., public health professionals are tracking an increase in vector-borne diseases, and Oklahoma is no exception. The Tulsa Health Department (THD) has observed expanded tick activity earlier in the season and higher mosquito counts in areas with standing water. The lack of a hard winter freeze likely played a major role.
Warmer environmental conditions are also enabling ticks to expand into new areas, increasing the risk of exposure for both people and pets. At the same time, mosquitoes are emerging earlier and surviving longer into the season, heightening the potential for disease transmission.
Below is a map from the CDC’s Lyme Disease Data & Research illustrating the expanding range of Lyme disease cases across the U.S. since the 1990s. This underscores how blacklegged ticks—that transmit pathogens like Lyme—are migrating into new regions, largely driven by milder winters and changing climates.
What Illnesses Are on the Rise?
- Ticks in Oklahoma can transmit illnesses such as:
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever
- Ehrlichiosis
- Tularemia
- Mosquitoes in our area may carry:
- West Nile virus
- St. Louis encephalitis
- La Crosse encephalitis (rare but possible)
Prevention Tips
Protect yourself and your family:
- • Wear insect repellent with DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
- • Dress smart: wear long sleeves and pants when in grassy or wooded areas.
- • Check for ticks on yourself, kids, and pets often during and then after outdoor activities.
- • Dump standing water around your home at least once a week (bird baths, buckets, planters, gutters).
- • Use screens on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out.
- • Treat pets with vet-recommended tick and flea preventatives.
What THD Is Doing?
The Tulsa Health Department’s Vector Control team is actively monitoring mosquito populations and managing high-risk zones across Tulsa County. This includes:
- • Larvicide treatment in known breeding areas
- • Mosquito surveillance traps to track virus activity
- • Tick surveillance and education on tick-borne illness prevention
The Epidemiology Program is working hard to educate our community by distributing free vector-prevention kits at relevant community events, including repellents and tick removal tools.
You can file an online complaint for environmental concerns, including mosquito breeding sites or stagnant water reporting and our Environmental Health Services program will investigate and take action if needed. Also on this form, you can report issues like stagnant water, mosquito breeding, housing conditions and more.
Need more information or concerned about a potential exposure? Call our Epidemiology Line at 918-595-4399 — we’re here to help.
Credible Resources:
- CDC Tick-Borne Diseases
- CDC Mosquito-Borne Diseases
- Oklahoma State Department of Health – Vector-Borne Disease
References:
Oklahoma State Department of Health. (2022). Tickborne Diseases in Oklahoma. Retrieved from https://oklahoma.gov/health/prevention-and-preparedness/acute-disease-service/disease-information/tickborne-diseases.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI). https://www.cdc.gov/stari/index.html