BENZIE COUNTY, MI – A Northern Michigan health department is reporting a “significant increase” in Lyme disease cases this summer.

The Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department has 12 reported cases of the disease since June 1. Lyme Disease is caused by bacterium transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged (deer) ticks.

Six of the cases are in Benzie County and six are in Leelanau County.

“This is a significant increase over past years – there were only 16 total cases reported during the previous 5 years,” health staff wrote on Facebook.

Northern Michigan isn’t the only region of the state where an increase in Lyme Disease has been reported. Jackson County has more than doubled the number of Lyme disease cases seen in a typical year halfway through the active season.

Many experts predicted the bad tick season in the spring. MLive spoke with Jean Tsao, an associate professor at Michigan State University who researches ticks and tick-borne illness in April.

She provided several tips to help avoid ticks including steering clear of their natural habitat (wooded and grassy locations), staying on park trails, doing “tick checks” and showering within two hours of coming inside.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States.

Approximately 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported to CDC by state health departments and the District of Columbia each year, however recent estimates using other methods suggest that approximately 300,000 Americans may get Lyme disease each year.

Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system.