New England Experts Flag 4 Tick Species Behind Lyme and Alpha-Gal Risks
Updated
Updated · The Boston Globe · Jun 19
New England Experts Flag 4 Tick Species Behind Lyme and Alpha-Gal Risks
3 articles · Updated · The Boston Globe · Jun 19
Summary
Blacklegged ticks pose the biggest human threat in New England, experts said, because they spread Lyme, anaplasmosis, babesiosis and Powassan virus and often live close to people.
About 50% of adult blacklegged ticks and 30% of nymphs in the Northeast carry Lyme, with poppy-seed-size nymphs driving many cases because they are harder to spot.
American dog ticks carry less human risk and rarely spread Rocky Mountain spotted fever, while lone star ticks can trigger alpha-gal syndrome and also spread ehrlichiosis and tularemia.
Lone star ticks and dog ticks tolerate sunnier, drier grasslands better than blacklegged ticks, which favor shady woods and leaf litter; longhorned ticks are spreading fast in grasses and coastal areas.
Asian longhorned ticks remain a bigger threat to pets and livestock than humans in the U.S., but experts said identifying the species and likely habitat of a bite can guide medical follow-up.