Latest news with #Ixodes
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
State officials warn about the dangers of tick-bites
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)—With tick-borne diseases on the rise, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services () is encouraging people to be aware when they are outdoors. The MDHHS reports that the cases of these diseases, such as disease and , are increasing across the state. Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, is the most common tick-borne disease in the state. Cases have increased by 168% over the last five years. The state recorded 1,215 cases in 2024, compared to 452 cases in 2020. Anaplasmosis, caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum, is the second most common tick-borne disease. Cases have increased by nearly five times in the last five years, with 82 cases in 2024 compared to 17 in 2020. The disease is particularly common in northern parts of Michigan. MDHHS says both diseases are transmitted by Ixodes scapularis, commonly known as the blacklegged or deer tick. Symptoms usually arise one to two weeks after a bite, often after being in wooded or brushy areas where ticks commonly live. Early symptoms may include fever, chills, rash, headache, fatigue and muscle aches. Early treatment with antibiotics can decrease the risk of serious complications. 'Preventing tick bites is the best way to prevent tick-borne diseases, including Lyme disease and anaplasmosis,' said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Chief Medical Executive for the State of Michigan, in a news release sent to 6 News. 'If you find a tick attached to your body, promptly remove it. Monitor your health, and if you experience fever, rash, muscle or joint aches, or other symptoms, or if you suspect a tick has been attached for more than 24 hours, consult with your medical provider,' added Bagdasarian. Avoid tick-infested areas As ticks live in grassy, brushy, and wooded areas, individuals should walk in the center of trails to avoid contact with overgrown grass, brush, and leaf litter at trail edges Keep an eye on your pets Dogs and cats can encounter ticks outdoors and bring them into the home. Talk with your veterinarian about the best tick prevention products. Use insect repellent Apply an EPA-registered repellent on exposed skin. Find a repellent product that is right for you. Treat clothes (especially pants, socks, and shoes) with permethrin, which kills ticks on contact, or buy clothes that are pre-treated. Do not use permethrin directly on skin. Always follow the manufacturer`s instructions when applying repellents. Perform daily tick checks Always check for ticks on yourself and your animals after being outdoors, including in your yard. Inspect all body surfaces carefully and remove attached ticks carefully with tweezers. To remove a tick, grasp the tick firmly and as closely to the skin as possible. With steady, even pressure, pull the tick`s body upward and away from the skin. Cleanse the area with an antiseptic. Be sure to bathe and shower Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors (preferably within two hours) to wash off and more easily find ticks. Wash clothing in hot water and dry on high heat to kill ticks in clothing. If you need help identifying a tick, you can email photos of it to for identification free of charge. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Record
23-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Spring tick warning as ‘fatal allergic reactions' developed after bites
Alpha-gal syndrome is a new allergic condition caused by tick bites. The symptoms can be quite severe and it can even be fatal in certain cases. Here's what you need to know A new report has linked various types of ticks to alpha-gal syndrome, a potentially fatal condition. Ticks are known to carry a range of illnesses with different impacts, but one of the most lethal is alpha-gal syndrome. The disease was first reported in the UK in 2019, primarily among travellers returning from abroad with tick bites. However, a recent study published in the British Journal of General Practice suggests that Ixodes ricinus, a tick species native to the UK, could be spreading the disease. This follows several case reports in Scotland. Previously, it was believed that the lone star tick, native to the US, was solely responsible for the condition. However, new reports from the CDC have identified two additional black-legged tick species that may be carrying the disease across the Atlantic. Alpha-gal syndrome is an allergy triggered by the saliva of certain ticks. It causes the immune system to overreact to a specific sugar, galactose-α-1,3-galactose, or alpha-gal for short, found in mammalian muscle tissue. Consequently, individuals with this syndrome develop a potentially life-threatening allergy to red meat, certain medications, personal care products, and medical treatments. According to Anaphylaxis UK, the symptoms of this allergic reaction can be somewhat delayed, making it difficult for some people to identify their condition. The initial symptoms of alpha-gal syndrome can manifest up to eight hours after consuming red meat. Mild reactions may include a raised red rash on any part of the body, an itchy or tingly sensation in the mouth, swelling around the eyes, lips and face, as well as stomach pain or vomiting. In more severe instances, the condition can lead to anaphylaxis, which can cause difficulty breathing, disrupt heart rhythm or blood pressure. Individuals may feel weak and floppy or experience a sense of impending doom due to a drop in blood pressure. Collapsing and loss of consciousness are also possible outcomes, and without appropriate treatment, anaphylaxis can be fatal. Those with asthma may also be at risk of experiencing more serious symptoms. Treatment for alpha-gal syndrome is similar to that of other allergies; this includes antihistamines, EpiPens if necessary, and avoiding the allergen. The allergy may not be permanent for some individuals, while others may have lifelong sensitivity. Avoiding further tick bites can also enhance the chances of your symptoms lessening over time. If you're concerned you might have alpha-gal syndrome, Anaphylaxis UK recommends asking your GP to refer you to an allergy clinic, even if the symptoms are mild.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Multiple species of ticks in the US can transmit red meat allergy, CDC reports reveal
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Until recently, scientists thought a rare and potentially deadly meat allergy was transmitted by just one species of tick found in the U.S. — the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum). However, new reports of the allergy, called alpha-gal syndrome, show that the much more widespread black-legged ticks (Ixodes) can also transmit the disease. Whereas lone star ticks are found mainly in the southern and eastern U.S., black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis), also called deer ticks, are present in the eastern half of the U.S. and the Midwest and the western black-legged tick (Ixodes pacificus) inhabits the West Coast, according to Mayo Clinic. The new case reports suggest that people in a wide swath of the U.S. are at risk of tick-borne alpha-gal syndrome. However, "evidence continues to support that in the U.S., most alpha-gal syndrome patients develop the allergy after experiencing a bite from a lone star tick," Dr. Johanna Salzer, a veterinary medical officer and epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Division of Vector-Borne Diseases and a co-author of both case reports, told Live Science in an email. Given that a variety of tick species have been linked to alpha-gal syndrome outside the U.S., scientists had long suspected that black-legged ticks in the U.S. also transmit the allergy. "For us, it was never just the lone star tick," Jennifer Platt, co-founder of the nonprofit Tick-Borne Conditions United and an adjunct faculty member at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, wrote in a blog post. "With thousands of Lyme [a tick-borne disease] patients telling us they can't tolerate red meat, we've long suspected black-legged ticks and other tick species in the US," she noted. "Although our publications are some of the first reports linking blacklegged ticks in the US to alpha-gal syndrome, bites from these species in the U.S. leading to alpha-gal syndrome almost certainly have occurred prior to these reports," Salzer said. In alpha-gal syndrome, the immune system overreacts to a sugar known as galactose-α-1,3-galactose, or "alpha-gal" for short. Those affected can develop severe allergic reactions not only to red meat but also to some medications, personal care products, and medical treatments containing ingredients from mammalian tissues, where this sugar is found. Related: Tick season: What to know about bites, removing ticks and tick-borne diseases The first case, reported in the April 4 issue of the CDC journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, described a Maine woman who developed alpha-gal syndrome after a confirmed black-legged tick (I. scapularis) bite. The 45-year-old woman first experienced inflammation and itchiness at the bite site, followed by abdominal pain and malaise nine days later, after eating rabbit. Over the next two weeks, she continued having digestive problems after consuming red meat. A severe episode of diarrhea and vomiting hours after she ate beef prompted her to visit a health care provider 20 days after the tick bite. Blood tests revealed extremely high levels of alpha-gal-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE), confirming alpha-gal syndrome. Her allergy resolved after 10 months. The second case of alpha-gal syndrome, reported in the same journal issue, involved a 61-year-old wildlife biologist in Washington. After a confirmed bite from the western black-legged tick (I. pacificus), she experienced a skin rash and lip swelling, followed by a severe allergic reaction 29 days later, after she ate red meat, and required emergency epinephrine (EpiPen) treatment. After being diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome, she avoided meat and had no further reactions. Some years later, she got two more I. pacificus tick bites, which triggered a rise in alpha-gal IgE antibodies. To date, why tick bites can trigger alpha-gal syndrome is poorly understood. "We are only beginning to delve into the science of this and other tick-borne diseases — there's so much we don't know," Platt said. RELATED STORIES —Tick-borne illnesses are on the rise. Here's how to protect yourself. —32 scary parasitic diseases —Should we kill every mosquito on Earth? Research has shown that some tick species produce alpha-gal antigens — proteins that trigger an immune response — and secrete these antigens in their saliva during feeding. This may trigger the alpha-gal allergy in humans. "The ticks do NOT pick up [alpha-gal antigens] from animals and then transmit them to humans," Platt emphasized. "More studies are needed to discover details about how a tick bite triggers alpha-gal syndrome in some people, and why bites from lone star ticks appear to cause the majority of the human cases in the United States versus blacklegged, western blacklegged, and other ticks," Salzer said. Preventing tick bites is the best way to protect against alpha-gal syndrome and other tick-borne diseases, such as Lyme disease and Powassan virus. "When you anticipate being in areas where ticks may live, use an EPA-registered insect repellent and wear permethrin-treated clothing," Salzer advised.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
A meat allergy caused by ticks may be popping up in new parts of the U.S.
It's rare, but in some cases a tick bite can cause a person to develop an allergy to red meat. Most cases, scientists believe, are linked to the lone star tick, a species typically found in the Southeastern U.S. and the lower Midwest. Two case reports published this week, however, suggest that two other species — found elsewhere in the country — may also trigger the allergy. When ticks bite, they release a steady stream of saliva that contains chemicals that keep their victim's blood flowing as they feed. Sometimes, the saliva contains a sugar molecule called alpha-gal. Alpha-gal syndrome, a reaction to the molecule that occurs in some people, causes a red meat allergy. 'Alpha-gal syndrome is relatively rare, but those who have it can have a full-on anaphylactic shock,' said Douglas Norris, a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates nearly half a million people in the U.S. have alpha-gal syndrome. 'We do believe the lone star tick is still responsible for most of the cases of alpha-gal syndrome in the U.S.,' said Dr. Johanna Salzer, a veterinary medical officer and epidemiologist with the CDC's Division of Vector-Borne Diseases. Salzer worked on both of the new case reports, which were published Wednesday in the agency's journal, Emerging Infectious Diseases. Those reports found cases of alpha-gal syndrome in Washington and Maine in two women who hadn't traveled to areas where the lone star tick typically lives. Both women reported being bitten by ticks, which suggests that other species — including Ixodes scapularis, also called black-legged or deer ticks — may also be associated with alpha-gal syndrome, though much more rarely. A related tick, Ixodes pacificus, or the western black-legged tick, was also linked to the Washington case. The CDC's map of suspected cases — which shows high concentrations in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Tennessee as well as Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia — 'would look very different if Ixodes scapularis was widely causing it,' Salzer said. However, documented cases being associated with other ticks in the U.S. is 'certainly a big deal,' Matthew Aliota, an associate professor in the department of veterinary and biomedical sciences at the University of Minnesota. Unlike Lyme disease or the Heartland virus, alpha-gal syndrome is not caused by a bacterium or virus. The syndrome is instead an immune reaction to alpha-gal, a sugar found in almost all nonprimate animals, including cows, horses and deer and which can be present in tick saliva. For some people, being exposed to alpha-gal through a tick bite triggers an immunoglobulin E, or IgE, antibody response in the body. People who mount this response develop an allergy to meat that can take weeks to months to appear. Alpha-gal syndrome was discovered in 2009, and researchers are still working to answer a lot of questions about it — including why some people react to alpha-gal while many do not. For most people who do develop alpha-gal syndrome, the allergic reaction occurs hours after they eat red meat. 'It's unique because it's a delayed reaction, roughly 2-8 hours, so you can have a hard time knowing the trigger,' Salzer said, noting that with other IgE allergies, such as peanuts or shellfish, the reaction is almost immediate. Different people can also have different reactions, which can further complicate diagnosis. In one case, a 61-year-old woman in Washington state went into anaphylactic shock 29 days after she remembers being bitten by a tick on her shoulder: After eating beef tacos, she broke out in hives and her tongue and throat swelled. It happened again after she ate pork. In the other case, a 45-year-old woman in Maine had stomach pain and general malaise about 2 ½ hours after she ate roasted rabbit. About nine days earlier, she had removed a deer tick from her arm. After that first incident, she'd get sick a few hours after she ate any type of red meat. Beef elicited a bout of vomiting and diarrhea that eventually landed her in her doctor's office. Both women tested positive for alpha-gal antibodies, and both recalled their bites being itchy and inflamed. 'Not everyone will have this local reaction, but it is pretty common,' Salzer said, referring to the itchy, inflamed bites. 'But there is a subset of people with alpha-gal syndrome who do not recall being bitten by ticks,' she said. In 2023, the Maine CDC documented 23 cases of confirmed alpha-gal syndrome, but it's unclear how many may have encountered the ticks while traveling. (Lone star ticks are uncommon in Maine and Washington, but they have been found there.) It's also possible that these other tick species in the U.S. have always been associated with alpha-gal, Norris said, but doctors haven't detected it nearly as often as with lone star ticks. Indeed, ticks in Africa, Australia, Central America and Europe and Central America are also known to trigger alpha-gal syndrome. One thing is certain: Ticks, and the diseases they are associated with, are thriving. 'Tick populations in general, and particularly with lone star ticks, are exploding all over the United States,' Aliota said. 'Lone star ticks are moving into bigger geographic areas, and that range is continuing to expand with climate change.' For this reason, it's important to take precautions to avoid tick bites. This includes using bug repellant and wearing long-sleeved shirts, pants and socks when outdoors during tick season, which typically begins in April. If you've been in wooded areas or tall grass, shower off and do a 'tick check' when you get home. 'The most important thing is preventing the tick bite altogether,' Salzer said. This article was originally published on
NBC News
21-03-2025
- Health
- NBC News
A meat allergy caused by ticks may be popping up in new parts of the U.S.
It's rare, but in some cases a tick bite can cause a person to develop an allergy to red meat. Most cases, scientists believe, are linked to the lone star tick, a species typically found in the Southeastern U.S. and the lower Midwest. Two case reports published this week, however, suggest that two other species — found elsewhere in the country — may also trigger the allergy. When ticks bite, they release a steady stream of saliva that contains chemicals that keep their victim's blood flowing as they feed. Sometimes, the saliva contains a sugar molecule called alpha-gal. Alpha-gal syndrome, a reaction to the molecule that occurs in some people, causes a red meat allergy. 'Alpha-gal syndrome is relatively rare, but those who have it can have a full-on anaphylactic shock,' said Douglas Norris, a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates nearly half a million people in the U.S. have alpha-gal syndrome. 'We do believe the lone star tick is still responsible for most of the cases of alpha-gal syndrome in the U.S.,' said Dr. Johanna Salzer, a veterinary medical officer and epidemiologist with the CDC's Division of Vector-Borne Diseases. Salzer worked on both of the new case reports, which were published Wednesday in the agency's journal, Emerging Infectious Diseases. Those reports found cases of alpha-gal syndrome in Washington and Maine in two women who hadn't traveled to areas where the lone star tick typically lives. Both women reported being bitten by ticks, which suggests that other species — including Ixodes scapularis, also called black-legged or deer ticks — may also be associated with alpha-gal syndrome, though much more rarely. A related tick, Ixodes pacificus, or the western black-legged tick, was also linked to the Washington case. The CDC's map of suspected cases — which shows high concentrations in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Tennessee as well as Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia — 'would look very different if Ixodes scapularis was widely causing it,' Salzer said. However, documented cases being associated with other ticks in the U.S. is 'certainly a big deal,' Matthew Aliota, an associate professor in the department of veterinary and biomedical sciences at the University of Minnesota. Unlike Lyme disease or the Heartland virus, alpha-gal syndrome is not caused by a bacterium or virus. The syndrome is instead an immune reaction to alpha-gal, a sugar found in almost all nonprimate animals, including cows, horses and deer and which can be present in tick saliva. For some people, being exposed to alpha-gal through a tick bite triggers an immunoglobulin E, or IgE, antibody response in the body. People who mount this response develop an allergy to meat that can take weeks to months to appear. Alpha-gal syndrome was discovered in 2009, and researchers are still working to answer a lot of questions about it — including why some people react to alpha-gal while many do not. For most people who do develop alpha-gal syndrome, the allergic reaction occurs hours after they eat red meat. 'It's unique because it's a delayed reaction, roughly 2-8 hours, so you can have a hard time knowing the trigger,' Salzer said, noting that with other IgE allergies, such as peanuts or shellfish, the reaction is almost immediate. Different people can also have different reactions, which can further complicate diagnosis. In one case, a 61-year-old woman in Washington state went into anaphylactic shock 29 days after she remembers being bitten by a tick on her shoulder: After eating beef tacos, she broke out in hives and her tongue and throat swelled. It happened again after she ate pork. In the other case, a 45-year-old woman in Maine had stomach pain and general malaise about 2 ½ hours after she ate roasted rabbit. About nine days earlier, she had removed a deer tick from her arm. After that first incident, she'd get sick a few hours after she ate any type of red meat. Beef elicited a bout of vomiting and diarrhea that eventually landed her in her doctor's office. Both women tested positive for alpha-gal antibodies, and both recalled their bites being itchy and inflamed. 'Not everyone will have this local reaction, but it is pretty common,' Salzer said, referring to the itchy, inflamed bites. 'But there is a subset of people with alpha-gal syndrome who do not recall being bitten by ticks,' she said. Increasing risk for tick-borne illness In 2023, the Maine CDC documented 23 cases of confirmed alpha-gal syndrome, but it's unclear how many may have encountered the ticks while traveling. (Lone star ticks are uncommon in Maine and Washington, but they have been found there.) It's also possible that these other tick species in the U.S. have always been associated with alpha-gal, Norris said, but doctors haven't detected it nearly as often as with lone star ticks. Indeed, ticks in Africa, Australia, Central America and Europe and Central America are also known to trigger alpha-gal syndrome. One thing is certain: Ticks, and the diseases they are associated with, are thriving. 'Tick populations in general, and particularly with lone star ticks, are exploding all over the United States,' Aliota said. 'Lone star ticks are moving into bigger geographic areas, and that range is continuing to expand with climate change.' For this reason, it's important to take precautions to avoid tick bites. This includes using bug repellant and wearing long-sleeved shirts, pants and socks when outdoors during tick season, which typically begins in April. If you've been in wooded areas or tall grass, shower off and do a 'tick check' when you get home. 'The most important thing is preventing the tick bite altogether,' Salzer said.
