Tick season off to a fast start, and some experts worry about future illnesses

NEW YORK– Tick ​​season appears to be off to a fast start, with an unusually high number of bites already reported across the country.

Some U.S. doctors are concerned about the possibility of a bad year for tick-borne illnesses.

“If you have a lot of exposure, there are likely to be more cases of tick-related infections,” said Dr. Alina Filozov, an infectious disease physician at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, Connecticut.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week issued an initial advisory to the public to protect themselves against ticks.

Tick ​​bites typically increase in May, but “the data tells us now is the time to act,” said Alison Hinckley, a Lyme disease expert at the CDC. “The ticks are out and people are getting bitten. »

Current data is very limited, but the early signs are not good.

The CDC’s tracking system shows that weekly rates of emergency room visits for tick bites are the highest for this time of year since 2017. This is true in every region of the country except the south-central United States.

About 85% of U.S. hospital emergency departments send data to the monitoring system, but it doesn’t take into account people who haven’t been to the hospital.

It will take months for researchers to conduct systematic tick sampling to track changes in tick populations. And because not all bites result in infection, it will also take time for medical experts to know whether there is a real increase in Lyme disease or other illnesses.

Ticks are small, eight-legged blood-sucking parasites – arachnids, not insects – that feed on animals and sometimes people.

Tick ​​populations vary throughout the year and their numbers depend on a few factors. It is widely believed that climate change is having an effect: ticks like warm, humid weather, and even more can be seen after a mild winter. More deer and mice available for food may also be a factor.

Some ticks are infected with germs that can cause serious illnesses, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and alpha-gal syndrome, a red meat allergy. Lyme disease is the most common, with about 476,000 people treated each year, according to the CDC. Infections are usually treated with antibiotics.

So far this year, most of the ticks seen in the Northeast have been large adult ticks. But in the coming weeks, juvenile nymphs will become more common. The emergence of nymphs, along with more people spending time outdoors, are among the reasons tick bites tend to be more numerous in May. Worse, the tiny nymphs attached to humans are harder to see — and often stay around longer — leading to an increased risk of infections, experts say.

Connecticut has a connection to tick-borne illness: Lyme disease is named after a town there. And earlier this month, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station reported that residents were already submitting an average of 30 ticks per day for testing.

State officials also said an unusually high percentage of submitted ticks — 40% — tested positive for the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.

Several factors have contributed to the expansion of tick populations, including unusually high numbers of mice over the past two years, said Scott Williams, a tick researcher at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.

All we have so far is a first look, said Megan Linske, a wildlife biologist with the same agency. She expects the problem to continue to get worse, with more ticks spreading to more areas.

Experts advise that if you go outdoors, note any wooded areas and grassy properties that start to bleed into wooded areas. Ticks tend to perch on vegetation at ankle level with the tops of their legs outstretched, waiting to latch onto an unsuspecting dog or human.

Try walking in the middle of the trails. Wear light-colored clothing treated with Permethrin, an insecticide. And use insect repellents registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

If you find a tick, remove it immediately. There’s no need to seek medical attention unless you think the tick has been on you for days or you develop a rash or other symptoms, experts said.

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