Two tick-borne diseases are emerging in Minnesota, prompting state health officials to urge caution when vacationing in the state’s outdoors.
Health officials said dog ticks and deer ticks — both in ample supply in Minnesota — are carriers of Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Powassan disease, respectively, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Thursday.
A Minnesota child died earlier in July from Rocky Mountain spotted fever although health officials didn’t provide details about the death.
Spend five minutes with 10-year-old Henry Meeker, and it’s clear — he’s more than just an aspiring gymnast, he’s an all-around kid on the move.
And that’s exactly why — when Henry stopped short this past March — his family did, too.
“All of a sudden one day I wake up and my knee is swelling up and the next day, it’s bigger, and the next day, it’s bigger again,” Henry said from his Minneapolis home on Thursday.
Henry’s swollen knee confounded doctors, who originally considered arthritis and lupus. Eventually, they stumbled on a remote possibility.