Latest news with #LymeDisease
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Is this tick season going to be America's worst yet? Here's what to know
Peak tick season is approaching across the U.S and researchers are expecting this summer to be particularly brutal. But, is it the worst ever? University of Rhode Island entomologist Dr. Thomas 'The TickGuy' Mathers told The Independent that it's too early to call it but the numbers are looking worrying — he's received more submissions of nymphal blacklegged ticks, which carry Lyme disease, to the university's TickSpotters platform so far this month than the weekly average for the same period over the last decade. 'I don't know the answer just yet, if it's a trend going up – but I suspect it is, just based on the number of nymphal blacklegged ticks I've seen in the past couple of weeks,' he explained. Mathers noted that federal data shows emergency room visits related to ticks are up this year, with visits nearly doubling from 70 in April, to 131 in May. Other researchers who also count ticks are noticing a significant jump in specimens. Dr. Saravanan Thangamani, a professor at New York's SUNY Upstate Medical University who runs the Upstate Tick Testing Laboratory, has warned that more ticks are being sent to the lab than at the same time last year, marking a 217 percent increase. 'Based on the trend in tick submission I have observed thus far, I expect a tick season that is worse than the previous years,' he cautioned. But, Rutgers University professor and entomologist Dina Fonseca is not ready to make that call quite yet. She's a part of the submission project called New Jersey Ticks 4 Science! She said people say it's the worst year for ticks every year, noting there's no standardized tick surveillance. They're seeing more submissions, as well, but they don't know if it's just because more people are reporting them. 'Frankly, we don't have enough data over time to be able to say, 'Is it a worse year than normal or a better year than normal?' We don't know,' explained Fonseca. Whatever the case may be, the heightened activity between June and July leaves Americans exposed to 90 species of ticks and the diseases they can carry. Although ticks are on both coasts, they're largely found in the eastern U.S. Some, like brown dog ticks and blacklegged ticks, are located more widely. Not being prepared for ticks while doing outside activities and camping could carry a death sentence — although that's an extremely rare outcome. People bitten by ticks may be exposed to Powassan virus, Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis, Tularemia, Lyme disease, and other pathogens that can cause human disease. People can be affected by multiple diseases at once. The nymphal blacklegged ticks are the ones Fonseca says people really need to worry about, as they can be infected with four different disease agents. That includes Lyme disease, which may lead to facial paralysis and irregular heartbeat if untreated. Although larger than larval ticks, nymphal ticks are only the size of a poppy seed. They may be hard to spot – even for people who are aware of their region's ticks and where they live. 'Look at the bowtie of Lincoln on a penny; that's the size of a nymphal blacklegged tick, Fonseca said. While it's easy to miss ticks, it can take about two days for any transmission to occur after a bite. People who find ticks on their skin should remove them with tweezers as soon as possible. Those who develop a rash or fever after removal should consult a doctor. As far as prevention goes, knowledge is power. Reducing exposure is the best way to avoid negative health outcomes. Mather advises that people follow what he calls the 'three Ts.' Wear tight clothing, tuck in shirts and pants legs, and wear clothes treated with 0.5 percent permethrin repellent. 'If you don't apply repellent, they can be ruthless,' Fonseca said, recalling a time when she picked 30-to-40 ticks out of her hair. Mathers remembers a trip to Fire Island that resulted in the exposure to 'literally hundreds' of fast-crawling ticks. Unfortunately, with a changing climate comes additional chances to pick up the blood-sucking hitchhikers. With a warmer atmosphere comes a wetter world, and parasites thrive in those conditions, and ticks have been observed moving north. Southern aridity is their enemy. 'One of the easiest ways to kill a tick is to dry the heck out of them,' said Fonseca.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Is this tick season going to be America's worst yet? Here's what to know
Peak tick season is approaching across the U.S and researchers are expecting this summer to be particularly brutal. But, is it the worst ever? University of Rhode Island entomologist Dr. Thomas 'The TickGuy' Mathers told The Independent that it's too early to call it but the numbers are looking worrying — he's received more submissions of nymphal blacklegged ticks, which carry Lyme disease, to the university's TickSpotters platform so far this month than the weekly average for the same period over the last decade. 'I don't know the answer just yet, if it's a trend going up – but I suspect it is, just based on the number of nymphal blacklegged ticks I've seen in the past couple of weeks,' he explained. Mathers noted that federal data shows emergency room visits related to ticks are up this year, with visits nearly doubling from 70 in April, to 131 in May. Other researchers who also count ticks are noticing a significant jump in specimens. Dr. Saravanan Thangamani, a professor at New York's SUNY Upstate Medical University who runs the Upstate Tick Testing Laboratory, has warned that more ticks are being sent to the lab than at the same time last year, marking a 217 percent increase. 'Based on the trend in tick submission I have observed thus far, I expect a tick season that is worse than the previous years,' he cautioned. But, Rutgers University professor and entomologist Dina Fonseca is not ready to make that call quite yet. She's a part of the submission project called New Jersey Ticks 4 Science! She said people say it's the worst year for ticks every year, noting there's no standardized tick surveillance. They're seeing more submissions, as well, but they don't know if it's just because more people are reporting them. 'Frankly, we don't have enough data over time to be able to say, 'Is it a worse year than normal or a better year than normal?' We don't know,' explained Fonseca. Whatever the case may be, the heightened activity between June and July leaves Americans exposed to 90 species of ticks and the diseases they can carry. Although ticks are on both coasts, they're largely found in the eastern U.S. Some, like brown dog ticks and blacklegged ticks, are located more widely. Not being prepared for ticks while doing outside activities and camping could carry a death sentence — although that's an extremely rare outcome. People bitten by ticks may be exposed to Powassan virus, Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis, Tularemia, Lyme disease, and other pathogens that can cause human disease. People can be affected by multiple diseases at once. The nymphal blacklegged ticks are the ones Fonseca says people really need to worry about, as they can be infected with four different disease agents. That includes Lyme disease, which may lead to facial paralysis and irregular heartbeat if untreated. Although larger than larval ticks, nymphal ticks are only the size of a poppy seed. They may be hard to spot – even for people who are aware of their region's ticks and where they live. 'Look at the bowtie of Lincoln on a penny; that's the size of a nymphal blacklegged tick, Fonseca said. While it's easy to miss ticks, it can take about two days for any transmission to occur after a bite. People who find ticks on their skin should remove them with tweezers as soon as possible. Those who develop a rash or fever after removal should consult a doctor. As far as prevention goes, knowledge is power. Reducing exposure is the best way to avoid negative health outcomes. Mather advises that people follow what he calls the 'three Ts.' Wear tight clothing, tuck in shirts and pants legs, and wear clothes treated with 0.5 percent permethrin repellent. 'If you don't apply repellent, they can be ruthless,' Fonseca said, recalling a time when she picked 30-to-40 ticks out of her hair. Mathers remembers a trip to Fire Island that resulted in the exposure to 'literally hundreds' of fast-crawling ticks. Unfortunately, with a changing climate comes additional chances to pick up the blood-sucking hitchhikers. With a warmer atmosphere comes a wetter world, and parasites thrive in those conditions, and ticks have been observed moving north. Southern aridity is their enemy. 'One of the easiest ways to kill a tick is to dry the heck out of them,' said Fonseca.
The Independent
7 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Is this tick season going to be America's worst yet? Here's what to know
Peak tick season is approaching across the U.S and researchers are expecting this summer to be particularly brutal. But, is it the worst ever? University of Rhode Island entomologist Dr. Thomas 'The TickGuy' Mathers told The Independent that it's too early to call it but the numbers are looking worrying — he's received more submissions of nymphal blacklegged ticks, which carry Lyme disease, to the university's TickSpotters platform so far this month than the weekly average for the same period over the last decade. 'I don't know the answer just yet, if it's a trend going up – but I suspect it is, just based on the number of nymphal blacklegged ticks I've seen in the past couple of weeks,' he explained. Mathers noted that federal data shows emergency room visits related to ticks are up this year, with visits nearly doubling from 70 in April, to 131 in May. Other researchers who also count ticks are noticing a significant jump in specimens. Dr. Saravanan Thangamani, a professor at New York's SUNY Upstate Medical University who runs the Upstate Tick Testing Laboratory, has warned that more ticks are being sent to the lab than at the same time last year, marking a 217 percent increase. 'Based on the trend in tick submission I have observed thus far, I expect a tick season that is worse than the previous years,' he cautioned. But, Rutgers University professor and entomologist Dina Fonseca is not ready to make that call quite yet. She's a part of the submission project called New Jersey Ticks 4 Science! She said people say it's the worst year for ticks every year, noting there's no standardized tick surveillance. They're seeing more submissions, as well, but they don't know if it's just because more people are reporting them. 'Frankly, we don't have enough data over time to be able to say, 'Is it a worse year than normal or a better year than normal?' We don't know,' explained Fonseca. Whatever the case may be, the heightened activity between June and July leaves Americans exposed to 90 species of ticks and the diseases they can carry. Although ticks are on both coasts, they're largely found in the eastern U.S. Some, like brown dog ticks and blacklegged ticks, are located more widely. Not being prepared for ticks while doing outside activities and camping could carry a death sentence — although that's an extremely rare outcome. People bitten by ticks may be exposed to Powassan virus, Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis, Tularemia, Lyme disease, and other pathogens that can cause human disease. People can be affected by multiple diseases at once. The nymphal blacklegged ticks are the ones Fonseca says people really need to worry about, as they can be infected with four different disease agents. That includes Lyme disease, which may lead to facial paralysis and irregular heartbeat if untreated. Although larger than larval ticks, nymphal ticks are only the size of a poppy seed. They may be hard to spot – even for people who are aware of their region's ticks and where they live. 'Look at the bowtie of Lincoln on a penny; that's the size of a nymphal blacklegged tick, Fonseca said. Exposure and prevention While it's easy to miss ticks, it can take about two days for any transmission to occur after a bite. People who find ticks on their skin should remove them with tweezers as soon as possible. Those who develop a rash or fever after removal should consult a doctor. As far as prevention goes, knowledge is power. Reducing exposure is the best way to avoid negative health outcomes. Mather advises that people follow what he calls the 'three Ts.' Wear tight clothing, tuck in shirts and pants legs, and wear clothes treated with 0.5 percent permethrin repellent. 'If you don't apply repellent, they can be ruthless,' Fonseca said, recalling a time when she picked 30-to-40 ticks out of her hair. Mathers remembers a trip to Fire Island that resulted in the exposure to 'literally hundreds' of fast-crawling ticks. Unfortunately, with a changing climate comes additional chances to pick up the blood-sucking hitchhikers. With a warmer atmosphere comes a wetter world, and parasites thrive in those conditions, and ticks have been observed moving north. Southern aridity is their enemy. 'One of the easiest ways to kill a tick is to dry the heck out of them,' said Fonseca.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
How to protect yourself during peak tick season
SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) — It's officially peak tick season in Rhode Island, which means everyone should remain vigilant while spending time outside. Thomas Mather, director of the University of Rhode Island's Center for Vector-Borne Disease and the TickEncounter Resource Center, told 12 News the population of ticks across New England is the highest and most diverse it's ever been. There are four different species of ticks currently in Rhode Island, according to Mather, including black-legged deer ticks, American dog ticks, Lone Star ticks and Asian longhorned ticks. He said the most popular species are black-legged deer ticks and American dog ticks. Mather offered a series of precautions everyone can take as tick season ramps up: Mather has a new mantra for tick prevention: 'tuck, treat, tight.' He said it's important to tuck clothes in, treat clothes and shoes to repel them, and wear tight clothing to prevent them from getting underneath. Specifically, Mather recommends everyone tuck their shirts into their pants and their pants into their socks to limit skin exposure. He also suggested spraying clothing with a repellant that contains 20-30% DEET or permethrin. Those hiking in the woods or tall grass should stick to the middle of the trail if possible, he added. Mather urged everyone to carefully check themselves, their children and their pets for ticks before heading inside. He said it's important to have tweezers and a resealable bag ready to remove and collect the tick. Mather also warned against attempting to squish ticks, especially while they're still attached to their host. Even though it can be tempting to flush the tick away after removing it, Mather is asking everyone to submit a photograph of it to URI's TickSpotters. Mather said knowing the species of tick can make a big difference, since only black-legged deer ticks can carry the bacteria that causes Lyme Disease. To submit a tick for identification, Mather requests the photograph be taken of the topside of the tick and provide as much information as possible about the encounter. 'We don't expect everyone to be a tick biologist,' Mather said. 'But that's why we're here.' Mather said TickSpotters will identify the tick and respond to the submission with a risk assessment and easy-to-follow tick bite prevention tips. Even though the diseases that ticks carry varies by species, Mather stressed that 'all ticks need to be protected against.' There's also an easy way for Rhode Islanders to evaluate tick risks before heading outside, according to Mather. He said everyone can simply look out the window and assess their yard conditions to determine whether ticks will be out and about. 'Ticks don't like dry weather,' he said. 'If you have to water your lawn … that's actually not good for ticks.' Mather said wet weather provides the climate ticks need to reproduce. That's actually why clothes should be thrown into the dryer instead of the washer after spending time outside. Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Health
- New York Times
Pestly Is a Better Essential Oil Bug Repellent (But We Still Don't Recommend It)
There is no question that Pestly represents a significant step forward for essential oil repellents. But does it go far enough to replace a picaridin- or DEET-based spray? We asked repellency researcher Laurence Zwiebel, a professor of biological science and pharmacology at Vanderbilt University, and he told us that, even with Pestly's advancements in mind, essential oil repellents 'to me, have not shown the level of robust, prolonged, durable repellency, full stop.' Another significant difference holding this newcomer back: Although Pestly has shown decent repellency against mosquitoes, it makes no claims against ticks. Considering the prevalence of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, we believe that this is a serious issue, and one we can't ignore. Both picaridin and DEET have proven repellency against those harmful little bugs. 'What I tell people is, if you want to go for a walk in the woods, you should bring some serious stuff,' Zwiebel told us when we asked him to share his general advice on using repellents. 'If you wanna just sit on your back deck, I would not put anything on and just stick a big-ass fan on the deck to blow at you, and you'll be more comfortable, and you won't have any insects bothering you.' If you don't like the idea of spraying picaridin or DEET on your skin, he suggests spraying it just on your clothing. He also likes permethrin-treated clothing: 'A barrier is always a better thing than a chemical, and a barrier treated with a chemical is the best,' he explained. When you talk to an expert like Zwiebel, or the many other researchers we've spoken to over our several years of reporting on this topic, you get the impression that taking any unnecessary risk, while knowing what is at stake, doesn't make sense. That's especially true considering that more effective repellents, like those containing picaridin and DEET, are so readily available. So although we appreciate what Pestly is doing and admire its willingness to set a new standard for essential oil repellents, we stand by our recommendation to use a repellent with a 20% concentration of picaridin or a 25% concentration of DEET. It will provide all-day protection against mosquitoes and ticks. But still, Pestly has provided a glimmer of hope for folks seeking an alternative, and it represents a solid step forward toward a repellent that we might someday recommend for general use. This article was edited by Megan Beauchamp and Harry Sawyers. We don't recommend using any essential-oil bug repellents. There's no way to know what kind of protection you're getting (if any) or how long it will last. Our repellent recommendations are EPA approved, backed by experts, and tested by us. Bug zappers kill the wrong bugs—to control bugs without a spray repellent, use a spatial repellent or a fan instead. These products create a bug-free barrier, and the best ones are long-lasting, effective, and easy to refill or recharge.
