Someone took a poll recently as to the most hated insect in the US. It should come as no surprise that it is the tick.
There are various kinds of ticks, including the lone star tick, the brown dog tick, the black legged tick, and the American dog tick.
None, really, are favored over the others. They all have an objective of stealing our blood, and what do we get in exchange?
Just an opportunity to become infected with one of several really nasty diseases — that is not exactly a fair exchange, is it? No wonder ticks are hated.
Most people know, or should know, that ticks can spread disease but unfortunately, many really don’t know the symptoms until they get sick, and then it might be too late to avoid some long-term residuals.
So maybe, since we are in the middle of tick season right now, and because the people reading the River Hills Traveler tend to be outdoor people, we ought to mention some of the basics and then talk specifically about one tick-borne disease that is prevalent in the Missouri Ozarks: the Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
