Connecticut Tick Submissions Rise as 25% of Deer Ticks Test Positive for Lyme Bacteria
Updated
Updated · University of Connecticut · Jul 22
Connecticut Tick Submissions Rise as 25% of Deer Ticks Test Positive for Lyme Bacteria
2 articles · Updated · University of Connecticut · Jul 22
Summary
Connecticut agencies are receiving more tick submissions this year, with the early increase tied to warmer, wetter weather that favors breeding and questing activity.
391 ticks were identified by the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory last year, and staff expect similar overall numbers in 2026 even though community submissions spiked earlier in spring.
25% of deer ticks tested positive for Borrelia burgdorferi last year, making Lyme-causing bacteria the lab’s most common pathogen finding; it also detected Anaplasma, Ehrlichia and Borrelia lonestari.
Lone star tick submissions have risen gradually every year for more than 15 years, and Asian longhorned ticks are increasingly being found near the New York border.
UConn experts said drought can suppress tick activity, but in warm, wet periods people outdoors should use repellent, wear protective clothing and do tick checks afterward.