Alva Review-Courier -

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma's rainy spring has provided an ideal environment for ticks.

"One thing ticks don't like is being dry. It's good news for them," said Bob Brennan, Ph.D., biology department chair at the University of Central Oklahoma.

That could be bad news for people and their pets, because the pathogens many ticks carry can cause serious diseases.

"Oklahoma tends to be a leader in the country for tick-borne illnesses," Brennan told The Oklahoman.

The risk of getting a tick bite isn't limited to hikers and campers in the woods. Plenty of the bloodsuckers live in urban parks and ne...