LEAD PARAGRAPH - As the snow melts and tiny hard-shelled wood ticks crawl out of the ground and onto bushes and grass where they wait to be swept away by a warm body, state and federal health officials here have begun a study to determine whether Montana is the home of a new type of tick-borne disease similar to Lyme disease.

PURCHASING FROM NYTIMES.COM IS QUICK AND SECURE.
To read the complete article, simply click on one of the BUY NOW buttons below. You can buy this single article or, for even greater value, you can purchase this article as part of a multi-pack. You'll then have the opportunity to buy additional articles now or in the future at significant savings!
Purchase Single Article -- $2.95
Purchase as part of Article 4-Pack -- $7.95 ($1.99/article - a 33% savings!) Pack expires after 1 month
Purchase as part of Article 10-Pack -- $15.95 ($1.60/ article - a 46% savings!) Pack expires after 3 months
Purchase as part of Article 25-Pack -- $25.95 ($1.05/ article - a 65% savings!) Pack expires after 6 months

How multi-packs work: A multi-pack is an archive package that saves you money by allowing you to pre-purchase a set number of articles in bulk at a reduced price. You can then debit from your multi-pack and quickly access articles from the archive at your convenience over the lifetime of the multi-pack.

Once you purchase an article, you may view it as often as you like over the next 90 days. Archive articles do not include photos, charts or graphics

Click here to purchase article if you already own an archive article pack.