U.S. doctors warn of potentially bad tick-borne disease year amid early high bite reports
Updated
Updated · PBS NewsHour · Apr 25
U.S. doctors warn of potentially bad tick-borne disease year amid early high bite reports
9 articles · Updated · PBS NewsHour · Apr 25
CDC data show ER visits for tick bites are at their highest for this time of year since 2017, especially outside the south-central U.S., with Connecticut reporting 40% of tested ticks carrying Lyme bacteria.
The CDC has issued an early advisory urging the public to take precautions, as most ticks seen so far are large adults but harder-to-spot nymphs will soon emerge, increasing infection risks.
Experts cite climate change, mild winters, and rising mouse populations as factors fueling tick expansion, warning that more ticks and tick-borne diseases may spread as people spend more time outdoors this spring.
Lyme disease is spreading inland from the coasts. Is your state the next hotspot?
Is permethrin-treated clothing the secret weapon against this year's tick surge?
Some ticks transmit deadly viruses in 15 minutes. Is your bug spray enough?
A tick bite can now cause a red meat allergy. What's the next strange illness?
Why is one tick-borne fever far deadlier than the well-known Lyme disease?
With a Lyme vaccine nearing approval, who will be first in line?