Latest news with #MeganLinske
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New London County tick populations continue to grow
Ticks that can spread diseases that afflict people, including Lyme disease, continue to proliferate in Connecticut, the latest findings from a multiyear tick surveillance program show. On Monday, the New Haven-based Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station's Center for Vector Biology and Zoonotic Diseases released results of the program's analysis of more than 4,000 ticks collected during the spring, summer and fall of 2024 in 40 locations across the state's eight counties. The ticks were tested for organisms that cause five human diseases, including anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Lyme disease, hard tick relapsing fever and Powassan virus. The vast majority of the ticks collected were blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, which can spread Lyme disease, followed by longhorned ticks, American dog ticks and lone star ticks. Two of the species — longhorned ticks and lone star ticks — were identified in Fairfield, Middlesex, New Haven and New London counties. When the surveillance program was launched in 2019, the two species were only detected in Fairfield and New London counties. New London County reported the highest average adult blacklegged tick density of 83 ticks per acre as well as the highest density of blacklegged tick nymphs of 25 ticks per acre. Statewide, 54% of adult female blacklegged ticks and 23% of nymphs were found to be infected with Lyme disease. In New London County, the prevalence of infection was 60% of adults and 25% of nymphs. New London County's sampling sites are located at Bluff Point State Park in Groton; Hopeville Pond State Park in Jewett City; Franklin Swamp in North Franklin; Lord Cove, a tidal marsh in Lyme; and on Connecticut College property in Quaker Hill. 'The spread of lone star and longhorned ticks in Connecticut, along with increasing blacklegged tick populations, highlights the importance of continued tick surveillance,' said Megan Linske, a vector ecologist specializing in tick-host-habitat dynamics at CAES. 'Residents should take routine precautions and check for ticks after being outdoors.' To minimize exposure to tick bites and reduce the risk of tickborne diseases, CAES recommends people: • Stay on established trails and avoid bushy or wooded areas. • Conduct routine tick checks after outdoor activities. • Wear long sleeves, pants, and light-colored, tightly woven clothing. • Tuck pant legs into socks when hiking in tick habitats. • Wear clothing treated with permethrin, a medication and insecticide, to repel and kill ticks.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New London County tick populations continue to grow
Ticks that can spread diseases that afflict people, including Lyme disease, continue to proliferate in Connecticut, the latest findings from a multiyear tick surveillance program show. On Monday, the New Haven-based Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station's Center for Vector Biology and Zoonotic Diseases released results of the program's analysis of more than 4,000 ticks collected during the spring, summer and fall of 2024 in 40 locations across the state's eight counties. The ticks were tested for organisms that cause five human diseases, including anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Lyme disease, hard tick relapsing fever and Powassan virus. The vast majority of the ticks collected were blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, which can spread Lyme disease, followed by longhorned ticks, American dog ticks and lone star ticks. Two of the species — longhorned ticks and lone star ticks — were identified in Fairfield, Middlesex, New Haven and New London counties. When the surveillance program was launched in 2019, the two species were only detected in Fairfield and New London counties. New London County reported the highest average adult blacklegged tick density of 83 ticks per acre as well as the highest density of blacklegged tick nymphs of 25 ticks per acre. Statewide, 54% of adult female blacklegged ticks and 23% of nymphs were found to be infected with Lyme disease. In New London County, the prevalence of infection was 60% of adults and 25% of nymphs. New London County's sampling sites are located at Bluff Point State Park in Groton; Hopeville Pond State Park in Jewett City; Franklin Swamp in North Franklin; Lord Cove, a tidal marsh in Lyme; and on Connecticut College property in Quaker Hill. 'The spread of lone star and longhorned ticks in Connecticut, along with increasing blacklegged tick populations, highlights the importance of continued tick surveillance,' said Megan Linske, a vector ecologist specializing in tick-host-habitat dynamics at CAES. 'Residents should take routine precautions and check for ticks after being outdoors.' To minimize exposure to tick bites and reduce the risk of tickborne diseases, CAES recommends people: • Stay on established trails and avoid bushy or wooded areas. • Conduct routine tick checks after outdoor activities. • Wear long sleeves, pants, and light-colored, tightly woven clothing. • Tuck pant legs into socks when hiking in tick habitats. • Wear clothing treated with permethrin, a medication and insecticide, to repel and kill ticks.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Invasive tick spreads across more Connecticut counties
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — Of the thousands of ticks collected across Connecticut last year, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station says blacklegged ticks- also known as deer ticks- were the most common. However, two emerging species- lone star ticks and long horned ticks- were found in Fairfield, New London, Middlesex, and New Haven counties. In 2019, they were only detected in two counties- New London and Fairfield. New tick disease found in Connecticut The Center for Vector Biology and Zoonotic Diseases at CAES released their findings on Monday, after more than 4,000 ticks were collected from 40 publicly-accessible locations across the state during the spring, summer and fall months of 2024. 'The spread of lone star and longhorned ticks in Connecticut, along with increasing blacklegged tick populations, highlights the importance of continued tick surveillance,' Dr. Megan Linske, vector ecologist specializing in Tick-Host-Habitat Dynamics at CAES said. 'Residents should take routine precautions and check for ticks after being outdoors.' The ticks were tested for five human diseasecausing pathogens, including anaplasma phagocytophilum (anaplasmosis), babesia microti (babesiosis), borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease), borrelia miyamotoi (hard tick relapsing fever), and Powassan virus (powassan encephalitis). Connecticut sees record high volume of ticks amid rising concerns New London County reported the highest average adult blacklegged tick density, with 83 per acre. The county also saw the highest average nymphal blacklegged tick density at 25 per acre. The highest adult female infection prevalence was found in Litchfield County- at 65%- and the highest nymphal infection prevalence was found in Fairfield County- at 41%. To reduce the risk of exposure to tick bites, residents are urged to: Stay on established trails and avoid bushy or wooded areas. Conduct routine tick checks after outdoor activities. Wear long sleeves, pants, and light-colored, tightly woven clothing. Tuck pant legs into socks when hiking in tick habitat. Wear permethrin-treated clothing to repel and kill ticks. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
