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On average, around 3,500 cases of Lyme disease are reported in the state each year.
That puts Wisconsin in the top 20 percent in the nation for the highest number of cases.
Rebecca Osborn, a Vectorborne Disease Epidemiologist with the state Department of Health Services, said even that number is an understatement.
“This number of reported Lyme Disease cases most likely underestimates the true occurrence of Lyme disease by more than 10-fold,” she said.
On top of Lyme disease, mosquitoes in the area can spread West Nile virus.
That’s a disease that generally causes mild, flu-like symptoms, but can create more serious neurological problems.