Two tick-borne diseases detected in Nebraska

The state Department of Health and Human Services says it has detected the Heartland and Bourbon viruses in tick pools this year, according to a Thursday news release.

The rare viruses, which are spread by infected Lone Star ticks and can cause illness in humans, were detected during testing of tick pools in Sarpy County during the state's 2026 surveillance season.

The Heartland virus was also detected in Richardson County last year.

No human cases have been reported in Nebraska.

The viruses have been detected primarily in the central and eastern United States. Human infections are uncommon, but can cause fever, other symptoms, and in some cases, severe illness.

People who develop symptoms after a tick bite or spending time in tick habitat should contact their healthcare provider, HHS said.

HHS also offered tips for those spending time outdoors to avoid tick-borne diseases: 

• Use an EPA-registered insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone, according to the product label.

• Wear long pants, long sleeves and other protective clothing when possible.

• Treat clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin according to label directions.

• Avoid areas with tall grass, brush and leaf litter where ticks are commonly found.

• Walk in the center of trails when hiking.

• After spending time outdoors, check your body, clothing, children and pets for ticks.

• Shower soon after coming indoors and promptly remove attached ticks with fine-tipped tweezers. 

Ticks can be active throughout much of the year in Nebraska, but spring and summer months see the highest tick activity.

HHS' vector-borne disease program, along with Nebraska Game and Parks and local health departments, collect ticks from locations through the state during the spring and summer. Ticks are processed for species identification and sent to the labs for testing.

Tick surveillance and testing results can be found on the Tick Surveillance Dashboard.