Northeast Logs 188 Tick-Related ER Visits per 100,000 as Snow Cover Boosts Survival
Updated
Updated · thereminder.com · Jun 18
Northeast Logs 188 Tick-Related ER Visits per 100,000 as Snow Cover Boosts Survival
2 articles · Updated · thereminder.com · Jun 18
Summary
April tick-related emergency-room visits in the Northeast hit 188 per 100,000 people, the highest rate in the U.S., according to CDC data cited by local health officials.
Winter snow cover helped ticks survive by insulating them from subzero temperatures and damaging freeze-thaw cycles, creating what Southwick officials called a “cozy” habitat.
Western Hampden County health staff are now stepping up outreach at senior centers and urging prevention—EPA-registered repellents, long clothing, daily tick checks, showers after outdoor activity, and high-heat drying of clothes.
Massachusetts officials say Lyme disease remains the best-known local risk, with five reported cases so far in this area, while eastern parts of the state also face Lone Star ticks linked to alpha-gal syndrome, ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis.
Residents are being told to remove attached ticks with tweezers, avoid folk remedies like burning or petroleum jelly, and seek urgent care if a bite area turns red or develops a bullseye rash.