Updated

Updated · Worldatlas.com · Jun 18

New Hampshire Flags 5 Tick Hot Spots as Over Half of Black-Legged Ticks Carry Lyme

Updated

Updated · Worldatlas.com · Jun 18

New Hampshire Flags 5 Tick Hot Spots as Over Half of Black-Legged Ticks Carry Lyme

Q: Lyme disease is not the only threat. How can you identify the tick carrying a potentially fatal red meat allergy?

The tick linked to the potentially life-threatening red meat allergy known as alpha-gal syndrome is the lone star tick. The easiest way to identify it is by its markings. An adult female lone star tick has a single bright white or silvery dot on its back, which gives the species its name. Adult males usually do not have one central dot; instead, they tend to show white streaks or spots around the edge of the back. Younger lone star ticks, or nymphs, are harder to identify, but they are often lighter brown and rounder than black-legged ticks. Behavior can also help distinguish it. Lone star ticks are often described by experts as more aggressive and faster-moving than black-legged ticks, which are the main Lyme carriers in New Hampshire. The species is appearing more often in the Northeast, including New Hampshire. That matters because bites from lone star ticks have been associated with alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy to a sugar molecule that can trigger reactions after eating red meat such as beef, pork, or lamb. In some cases, the reaction can be severe or even fatal. If you find a tick and are unsure what it is, take a clear photo and use a tick identification service such as eTick or consult the University of New Hampshire Extension or the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. If symptoms develop after a bite or after eating red meat, seek medical care promptly.

Q: Transmitted in 15 minutes, Powassan virus has no treatment. What are its easily missed early warning signs?

The easily missed early warning signs of Powassan virus are flu-like symptoms: fever, headache, fatigue, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, weakness and sometimes a stiff neck. Many people have no symptoms at all, which is part of what makes the virus dangerous. Those symptoms can appear anywhere from about one week to one month after the bite of an infected tick. Because they overlap with common viral illnesses and other tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease or anaplasmosis, people may dismiss them or not connect them to a tick bite. That matters because Powassan can be transmitted very quickly — in as little as 15 minutes after a tick attaches — and there is no specific antiviral treatment. Care is supportive only, so early recognition and prompt medical evaluation are important, especially in places like New Hampshire where black-legged ticks are surging. People should seek urgent care if early symptoms are followed by neurological warning signs such as confusion, trouble speaking, loss of coordination, seizures or severe neck stiffness. Powassan can cause encephalitis or meningitis, and survivors may be left with long-term neurological problems. Given the speed of transmission, prevention is critical: use EPA-registered repellent, treat clothing with permethrin, stay on trails, do full tick checks after time outdoors, and remove ticks promptly.

2 articles · Updated · Worldatlas.com · Jun 18

Five New Hampshire recreation areas were identified as the state's biggest tick-risk zones, including Hampton Beach State Park, White Mountain foothills, Hillsborough County, the Connecticut River corridor and Bear Brook State Park.
More than half of New Hampshire's black-legged ticks carry the Lyme pathogen, with the heaviest disease burden concentrated in the southeastern and south-central parts of the state.
Warmer winters and expanding white-tailed deer and mouse populations have driven tick numbers to record levels, while humid leaf litter, wetlands and forest-meadow edges help them thrive.
Hillsborough County posts the state's highest reported rates of Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, Babesiosis and Ehrlichiosis; Rockingham and Merrimack also rank among the hardest-hit counties.
Officials advise residents and visitors to stay on groomed trails, use EPA-registered repellent and permethrin-treated clothing, and check skin and pets after time outdoors.

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Worldatlas.com7d ago

New Hampshire Identifies Five Tick-Infested Areas Amid Rising Lyme Disease Risk

Facebook7d ago

Tick season ramps up as CDC reports decade high in tick-related ER visits.

Lyme disease is not the only threat. How can you identify the tick carrying a potentially fatal red meat allergy?

As climate change expands tick habitats, are state-level prevention efforts enough to stop a national public health crisis?

Transmitted in 15 minutes, Powassan virus has no treatment. What are its easily missed early warning signs?

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2 total

Worldatlas.com7d ago

New Hampshire Identifies Five Tick-Infested Areas Amid Rising Lyme Disease Risk

Facebook7d ago

Tick season ramps up as CDC reports decade high in tick-related ER visits.

New Hampshire Flags 5 Tick Hot Spots as Over Half of Black-Legged Ticks Carry Lyme

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