Ticks that spread life-threatening pathogens detected in new counties… creating ‘perfect storm’ for devastating diseases
Two tick species that carry dangerous pathogens are thought to be invading new counties in a New England state, raising concerns that millions more people may be at risk of disease.
Connecticut has historically not been an established home for lone star ticks – typically found in southern states – or Asian longhorned ticks – typically found in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions.
However, both species have now been discovered in several different areas across southern Connecticut, including New Haven, Fairfield and New London, especially in Waterford.
A bite from either tick can spread Ehrlichiosis, a bacterial illness that causes flu-like symptoms, including fever, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue. If left untreated, it can cause kidney, lung or heart failure, respiratory distress, seizures or a coma.
Lone star ticks are also capable of spreading alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), which causes a potentially life-threatening allergy to a molecule found in beef, pork and dairy.
People who develop AGS can have a dangerous allergic reaction to these foods and require immediate medical care.
Dr Goudarz Molaei of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station called the presence of both ticks ‘a perfect storm.’
A researcher in Maine displays lone star ticks in a vial. Typically, this type of tick is found in Texas and Oklahoma
Pictured above is a female lone star tick, which can transmit Ehrlichiosis, a bacterial illness that causes flu-like symptoms
He told local news outlet WTNH: ‘Both ticks are transmitting one disease, both ticks are feeding on white-tailed deer, and there’s the possibility that there’s an exchange of the disease agent between the two tick species.
‘Having these two tick species side-by-side is a perfect storm.’
People who live in these counties, especially in communities close to the coast, should be on high alert and keep an eye out for ticks.
A warming climate, wildlife migration and environmental destruction is driving the spread of ticks to new areas in the US.
Last year, a rare bacterium that causes a more severe form of Lyme disease was found in New York for the first time.
A resident of Herkimer County, New York, located in the central part of the state, tested positive for Borrelia mayonii last year, according to a June CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Prior to that case, the pathogen had only ever been detected in people in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Additionally, a new case of a rare tick-borne disease was detected in a human for only the fourth time on record in California earlier this year.
A resident tested positive for the bacteria Rickettsia lanei, marking the third human case in the state and the fourth human case worldwide since the bacteria was first identified eight years ago.
In an April CDC report, the agency warned that emergency department visits due to tick bites were at their highest level since 2017, which may foreshadow an especially severe season ahead for Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.
The data showed there were 71 visits for tick bites per 100,000 people – more than double the average of about 30 per 100,000 for that time of year.
According to that data, the Northeast had the highest rate per population – at 163 tick-related ED visits per 100,000 people, up from just 52 in March. That already outpaced recent full-year highs in the region, which ranged from 74 to 89 per 100,000 between 2021 and 2025.
Ticks reside in grassy, brushy and wooded environments and spread disease by biting into the skin and feeding on blood. They should be removed as soon as possible, which can be done by using tweezers to gently grasp the tick close to the skin
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For hospital visit rates – the Northeast also leads the nation, with 104 emergency visits for tick bites per 100,000 emergency trips, according to data updated June 21.
This was followed by the Midwest with 75 ED visits per 100,000 trips; the Southeast had 34 visits per 100,000 trips; the West had 21 visits per 100,000 trips; and the South Central had 12 visits per 100,000 trips.
There was a similar spike in ED visits due to tick bites last year, though it didn’t occur as early. That surge occurred in July, when tick-related hospital visits reached 127 per 100,000 ED visits — the highest July level since 2017.
Ticks reside in grassy, brushy and wooded environments and spread disease by biting into the skin and feeding on blood.
As they feed, they pump saliva loaded with bacteria, viruses or parasites directly into the wound.
The longer a tick stays attached, the more infectious pathogens enter the body. Most ticks need 24 to 48 hours to transmit enough bacteria to cause illness, but some dangerous viruses can infect someone in just 15 minutes.
Ticks should be removed as soon as possible, which can be done by using tweezers to gently grasp the tick close to the skin.
Avoid squeezing the tick tightly during removal, as this may increase the risk of infection.
Around 31 million Americans experience a tick bite every year and nearly 476,000 of them end up with Lyme disease, the most common tick-borne illness.
