Why Do We Have So Many Tick-Borne Illnesses in the Northeast?

Several factors contribute to the tick population increasing in the Northeast.

If you’re wondering why there are so many tick-borne illnesses reported in the Northeast, you’re not alone. Some research suggests the high volume of forests in the Northeast contribute to a high tick population. Meanwhile, research also indicates that land use and climate change are also impacting the tick population and tick-borne illnesses in the Northeast.

Merrimack Tick Control

Environmental Changes are Giving Ticks More Places to Live

Ticks need hosts they can use for blood. In the Northeast, ticks are prone to feed on white-tailed deer and white-footed mice, both of which tend to travel. These deer and mice travel short and long distances alike. As such, they have helped ticks expand their habitat range in the Northeast.

Mild Winters are Helping Ticks Thrive

Tick season is getting longer in the Northeast, according to some experts. Mild winters are helping ticks survive for longer periods of time than ever before. If ticks do not die out in winter, their populations will grow. Thus, ticks can cause serious problems for people in the Northeast year-round.

People Face Heavy Exposure to Ticks

Spring and summer are popular times to get outdoors and explore, particularly in wooded areas where ticks are present. Yet, many people continue to ignore the health risks associated with tick-borne illnesses. If people are not careful around ticks, they risk getting tick bites. When a tick bites a person, it can spread Lyme disease or other diseases that cause long-lasting health problems.

What Tick-Borne Illnesses Should We Be Worried About Besides Lyme Disease?

Anaplasmosis and babesiosis are two of the most common tick-borne illnesses outside of Lyme disease. With anaplasmosis, a person can experience a fever, headache, and other flu-like symptoms. In severe cases, a person may need to be hospitalized due to a weakened immune system. Like anaplasmosis, babesisosis can weaken a person’s immune system. It can also be especially harmful to people who do not have a spleen.

How to Guard Against Tick-Borne Illnesses in the Northeast

Education can play a key role in your ability to protect against tick-borne illnesses. If you know the dangers associated with tick bites, you can remain diligent in areas where ticks may be present. These areas include bushy, grassy, or wooded areas where ticks tend to hide. Also, you can protect your skin by wearing long-sleeve shirts and pants in spaces where there may be ticks. You can apply insect repellent that helps keep ticks away from you, too.

What Merrimack Tick Control Options Are Available?

For the best Merrimack tick control, you can hire professionals. A tick control company has professionals on staff that can evaluate your property. From here, they can apply a tick control treatment that helps you reduce the tick population on your property by up to 90%. This treatment can deliver results that last up to three weeks.

Explore Merrimack Tick Control Options Today

Dave Macchia, tick control enthusiast — Dave Macchia, Central Mass tick control enthusiast

If you want to avoid a tick-borne illness, it helps to invest in tick control for your Merrimack property. With a top-notch Merrimack tick control company at your side, you can limit the tick population on your property. On top of that, you can lower your risk of contracting a tick-borne illness.

Also read: Are Ticks Prevalent in New Hampshire?

No Hot Dog or Hamburger Ever Again

The Tick Awareness Kiss Of Death For The Likes Of Bobby Flay And Guy Fieri – What is Alpha-Gal Syndrome?

As we bask in the beautiful days and stellar evenings of spring heading into summer in just a few days, one thing is continually on my mind … firing up my Weber grill. At the end of the work day, there is nothing quite like the crunch of a well-grilled hot dog on a gluten-free bun smothered in mustard, hot sauce, and dill pickle relish. Not your fave? No worries. There’s plenty of room on the grill for plump hamburgers, hiding a pillow of butter and herbs. Ah … heaven.

alpha-gal, AGS, meat allergy — Imagine never eating another hotdog or hamburger.

But imagine, just imagine, if you could never, ever enjoy these meat delicacies again. Unthinkable for those of us who are devotees of sausages, ribs, steaks, and more.

Guess what? It happened to my son-in-law.

High Grasses Can Be The Trigger For Tick Infestations That Lead To AGS – Alpha-Gal Syndrome

Two years ago, my son-in-law, let’s call him Dennis, felt awful. Shortly after enjoying a New York strip steak – perfectly grilled, I may add – he broke out in a severe rash that covered most of his body and he had extreme difficulty breathing.

“What could have possibly been the trigger?” he asked aloud. “Was the meat spoiled?”

After a trip to the emergency room, a full exam, and multiple blood tests later, he was diagnosed with AGS – or Alpha-Gal Syndrome, something he, and the rest of our family, had never heard of.

What Is The Alpha-Gal Syndrome Caused By A Tick Bite?

Signs and symptoms of an alpha-gal allergic reaction are often delayed compared with other food allergies. Most reactions to common food allergens — peanuts or shellfish, for example — happen within minutes of exposure.

With alpha-gal syndrome, reactions usually appear about three to six hours after exposure. Red meat, such as beef, pork or lamb; organ meats; and products made from mammals, such as gelatins or dairy products, can cause a reaction.

Signs and symptoms of alpha-gal syndrome may include:

Hives, itching, or itchy, scaly skin (eczema)
Swelling of the lips, face, tongue and throat, or other body parts
Wheezing or shortness of breath
A runny nose
Stomach pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting
Sneezing
Headaches
A severe, potentially deadly allergic reaction that restricts breathing

Doctors now think that the time delay between eating red meat and developing an allergic reaction is one reason why the AGS condition was overlooked until recently. A possible connection between a New York strip steak with dinner and hives at midnight was far from obvious.

How Can I Be Sure If A Tick Bite Caused Me To Contract Alpha-Gal Syndrome?

See your primary care doctor or a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies (allergist) if you experience food allergy symptoms after eating — even several hours after eating.

Don’t rule out red meat as a possible cause of your reaction, especially if you live or spend time outdoors in high grassy areas of the United States or in other parts of the world where alpha-gal syndrome is known to occur.

Seek emergency medical treatment if you develop signs or symptoms of anaphylaxis, such as:

Difficulty breathing
Rapid, weak pulse
Dizziness or light-headedness
Drooling and inability to swallow
Full-body redness and warmth (flushing)

The Effects Of Alpha-Gal Syndrome Can Sneak Up On You – Even Well-Educated Folks

So here’s a sad but true story. My wife makes an incredible pot of Sunday Sauce – or Gravy – laden with fresh heirloom tomatoes, spices, spareribs, Italian sausage, meatballs, and lamb. It simmers for hours and the aroma while it’s on the stove is simply intoxicating.

alpha gal means no sausage — Alpha-gal means no Italian sausage.

But Dennis can no longer enjoy it – and we would never think of enjoying it when he could not possibly enjoy it, too, at the same dinner table.

So my wife thought, “CHICKEN and TURKEY!” Not from four-legged mammals, surely they would be safe in the sauce, so she reinvented it with safe substitutes.

Long story short, Dennis and his family came for Sunday dinner and we proudly announce our meatless solution – chicken sausage and turkey meatballs in lieu of the Sunday Sauce core meat ingredients.

When we saw the look on his face of sadness and disappointment, we asked what was wrong.

“Is the chicken sausage in a natural casing from the supermarket market?” he asked. “Why yes,” we answered.

And that was it. The chicken sausage casing was from pig casings – and he can’t have anything from a pig – or any other four-legged animal.

Trying to be lighthearted about his misfortune, we tossed the contents of the pot into the trash and feasted on charcuterie cheeses, vegetables, and relishes with no sign of cold cuts in sight.

The Only Way To Exterminate The Tick Carriers Of AGS Is With Professional Canton Tick Control

To escape the dangers of contracting AGS of other tick spread diseases like Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosis, and other devastating illnesses, get Canton tick control before it’s too late.

What Deer Hunting Season Tells Us About the Spread of Tick and Mosquito Diseases

Deer hunting is underway in Massachusetts. Some Northeastern states are getting a glimpse of the real threat of disease-carrying ticks. But that’s not all.

Whether you are a fan of deer hunting or not, tagging stations are offering insight into the spread of ticks across the Northeastern United States. Right now in York County, Maine, researchers are spread out between deer tagging stations. Their goal is to collect and identify ticks from deer carcasses and to also obtain blood samples to test for mosquito-borne illnesses, like EEE.

What does deer hunting tell us about ticks?

Tick populations have reached record numbers.

Hunters in the Northeast report that they are seeing more ticks on their trips into the wooded wilderness than ever before. Some avid small game hunters are even skipping those seasons due to the increase in tick encounters. In years past, you might find a tick or two during your hunt. Today, it is reported that your hunting trip will undoubtedly bring you in direct contact with ticks – plural. It’s not if but when.

Like Massachusetts, York County, Maine, is a hotbed for Lyme-carrying ticks these days. Deer ticks were first found in Maine in 1980. But unlike some Massachusetts locales, they have not yet reported lone star ticks, which carry a variety of tick-borne illnesses other than Lyme disease. However, experts believe it’s only a matter of time before these ticks arrive on the scene. It is more important than ever that hunters, hikers, and campers protect themselves. The best personal protection methods include wearing treated clothing to repel ticks.

Warmer winters mean more ticks, new ticks, and even new mosquito diseases.

The researchers at Maine deer tagging stations are out to identify mosquito-borne illnesses too. Blood samples are being taken from deer in hopes of identifying the prevalence of mosquito diseases, such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile virus. The state’s only reported case of EEE this year was in York County. Massachusetts has had no reports of Eastern Equine Encephalitis so far in 2021. There were a few cases of West Nile virus in Massachusetts this year, but because of drought-like conditions from last fall through spring, even those cases began reporting later into the year than normal. Effective mosquito control must be given credit for the decrease in potentially deadly cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis.

Tick control is a year-round concern.

Due to warmer winters in Massachusetts, ticks can and do quest even during the winter months. It is possible to be bitten by a tick in the fall and winter, and we should be concerned with ample protection during those months. Fortunately, reputable tick control professionals offer ‘out-of-season‘ methods of tick protection by way of tick tubes.

You can take personal protection measures while hunting or hiking this time of year, and leave the at-home protection to the pros!

What is tick-borne relapsing fever and should we be worried in MA?

It would be no surprise if you have never heard of tick-borne relapsing fever.

According to the CDC, there were only 504 cases of confirmed tick-borne relapsing fever between 1990 and 2011. Aside from the rarity of the illness, Central Mass residents will be happy to know that it is not in Massachusetts. Though 15 western states account for most cases, California, Washington, and Colorado are the most prominent states, where infection occurs. Tick-borne relapsing fever occurs mostly in the summer, but winter infection is possible. The ticks responsible for passing this illness thrive in coniferous forests at elevations of 1,500 to 8,000 feet. If you are considering a rustic cabin rental in a western state, you should know about this rare illness. You should wear tick protection and protective clothing. You should ask the rental company for proof that the cabin has been treated for ticks.

What tick is responsible for the illness?

O. hermsi ticks often feed on the blood of chipmunks.

The O. hermsi tick is responsible for most cases of this infection. This soft tick lives mostly at higher elevations, and can live up to a decade. During its life, the O. hermsi will take multiple blood meals, their main food source being chipmunks and squirrels.

Borrelia hermsii are the bacteria that cause the illness. Not so closely related to Lyme disease bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, these bacteria can cause symptoms akin to Lyme infection. They include a high fever, muscle aches, and joint pain. The interesting thing is, the high fever will come and go in cycles. Three days of high fever will be followed by seven days of no fever. Then, three more days of fever will occur. If left untreated, this will repeat multiple times.

Can tick-borne relapsing fever be treated?

Patients, who receive a positive diagnosis will be prescribed antibiotics for 10 to 14 days. About half of patients experience an adverse reaction within the first four hours of treatment. Known as Jarisch-Herxheimer, the reaction includes low blood pressure, high fever, and rigors. This too, must be treated. Patients must be monitored when they start treatment for tick-borne relapsing fever.

Deploy Cambridge tick control at home and personal protection away from home.

tick tubes — Tick tubes offer year-round tick control.

While the illness can be treated and cured, protection is key. Folks, who love the outdoors, must practice personal tick protection. Whether you are at home or away from home, avoiding a tick bite is better than being treated for a tick-borne disease like relapsing fever or Lyme disease. Central Mass residents should be vigilant with their at home tick control by employing a professional Cambridge tick control company. Professional tick treatment is available all year long. Barrier protection spray will protect your yard from spring through fall, and tick tubes will further tick control efforts through the winter.

Dave Macchia mosquito conrol and tick control enthusiast — Dave Macchia
Central Mass tick enthusiast

How will COVID-19 restrictions affect tick-borne illnesses in 2020?

Massachusetts remains under strict COVID-19 restrictions through May 18. Will this help or hinder the fight against tick-borne illnesses in 2020?

That is precisely the question being asked by researchers from the University of Rhode Island, Hollins University, Duke University, Clemson University, and the University of Georgia. Residents across the United States have been under stay-at-home orders, which are just now beginning to phase out. Researchers theorize that since we have been unable to engage in social interaction, we are seeking adventure outdoors, where we will encounter more ticks and tick-born illnesses in 2020.

covid 19 restrictions affect tick-borne illesses

This theory is supported by the University of Rhode Island’s Tick Encounters team via TickSpotters, their crowdsource tick survey, which allows U.S. residents to submit photos of found ticks. During COVID-19 restrictions, photo submissions of attached and engorged ticks have risen exponentially. Tom Mather, University of Rhode Island Professor of Public Health Entomology, says this highlights the immediate need for essential tick prevention education. As folks begin to explore outdoor spaces, they might not be aware of the dangers of encountering ticks. Therefore, more people and their pets are finding themselves victims of tick bites.

hiking cause more tick encounters

Michael Yabsley, of the University of Georgia, is leading a research study entitled, “Investigating COVID-19 impacts on the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases in people and pets.” Currently, survey submissions are mostly from the southern United States, and more data is being requested from residents in New England.

Central Mass residents can take the survey here.

It stands to reason that this study will reveal a higher amount of tick-borne illnesses in the U.S. during the COVID-19 crisis. While the medical community works to control, cure, and prevent the spread of COVID-19, we must remember that tick-borne illnesses have been an ongoing battle in Central Mass for decades.

Central Mass tick control is always essential.

The best way to fight tick-borne illnesses in Central Mass is with essential tick control. Hire a reputable tick control company to spray areas around your home and yard to eliminate ticks. Now is the time to begin. We have been spending more time at home than ever, and our yards have become our private escapes. If you are spending more time outdoors, be sure that you are protected from ticks and the threat of the diseases they carry.

Tag: tick-borne illnesses