Lone Star Ticks Spread Into 3 U.S. Regions as Alpha-Gal Cases Rise
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 17
Lone Star Ticks Spread Into 3 U.S. Regions as Alpha-Gal Cases Rise
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 17
Summary
Tick season is in full swing and could last into fall as lone star ticks, once concentrated in the South, keep expanding into parts of the Northeast and Midwest.
Warming climate, land-use changes and growing deer populations have helped push the species into new areas, alongside rising reports of alpha-gal syndrome — a red-meat allergy triggered by some bites.
Risk remains uneven: experts say established populations are still concentrated in the South, with northern limits generally around southern New Jersey, downstate New York, Long Island and Martha’s Vineyard.
New England is not broadly overrun, specialists said, though the tick has moved somewhat into Connecticut, underscoring that exposure is growing but still geographically concentrated.