Ticks are having a banner year
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Illustration: Rebecca Zisser/Axios
This year's tick season has been a doozy — and another peak is coming in the fall.
Why it matters: Tick bites can pose serious health risks, transmitting pathogens that cause illnesses including Lyme disease and triggering alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy to red meat.
By the numbers: Even before the month's end, this August had the highest rate of emergency department visits for tick bites since the CDC's tracker began in 2017.
- Through Aug. 23, there were 34 August ER visits for tick bites per 100,000 total ER visits.
- That comes after a record-breaking April for tick bites.
Zoom in: In Connecticut, Goudarz Molaei, who directs the state's tick surveillance program, tells Axios that submissions through July were 38% above the 10-year average and the highest of the past 10 years.
The latest: Lyme disease risk is expanding beyond areas where the disease has historically been concentrated.
- A new CDC report found blacklegged ticks and several disease-causing pathogens in western North Carolina, adding evidence that Lyme disease is emerging in southern Appalachia.
What's next: Blacklegged ticks — also known as deer ticks — enter another peak activity period in October and November.
To stay safe, wear long sleeves and long pants in areas with dense tick populations, use insect repellent, and check yourself, children and pets for ticks after spending time outdoors, Molaei says.
- Around the yard, clear brush and tall grass where ticks can live.
Go deeper: How to remove a tick.
