Tick checks have become a part of my family’s routine when we come in from outdoor activities. And after working with Mississippi State University entomologist Jerome Goddard, I’m going to be extra sure not to skip this task.

I thought I was just trying to minimize the chances any of us came down with Lyme disease. Turns out these tiny bloodsuckers can carry and transmit a bunch of other pathogens. Dr. Goddard runs through some of the lesser known tick-borne diseases that are on the rise in the United States.

Also today: black giving and black student debt, how what you eat contributes to ‘dead zones’ and patronage and government work.

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There’s a short window between when a tick bites and when it passes on bacteria or virus. MSU Ag Communications, Courtesy Dr. Tina Nations

Ticks spread plenty more for you to worry about beyond Lyme disease

Jerome Goddard, Mississippi State University

Tick-borne diseases are becoming more common in the United States. A public health entomologist outlines some of the lesser-known threats ticks pose to human health.

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