As warmer weather brings tick season back to the commonwealth, most of the U.S. is experiencing the highest rates of tick-related ER visits in nearly a decade.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Tick Bite Data Tracker” shows that most areas of the U.S. are experiencing their highest weekly rates of tick bite ER visits since 2017.
Bethany Kinney is the nurse lead for the Communicable Disease Team at the Bowling Green-based Barren River District Health Department.
She said the region is seeing an increase in reported cases of tick-borne illnesses, such as alpha-gal syndrome, which can cause severe allergies to red meat and dairy.
However, she adds that the spike is partly due to increased awareness of the threat.
“It’s talked about more because it is reported; as things progress, we’ve had an increase in testing for things like [alpha-gal syndrome],” Kinney said. “That’s always going to lead to some changes in how things are diagnosed and how we hear about them.”
Kinney says the most common ticks seen in our region are the Lone Star tick, Deer ticks, and the American Dog tick. Each species poses a risk for different illnesses. The Lone Star tick is most often the cause of alpha gal syndrome; Deer ticks have the highest possibility for transmitting Lyme disease; and the American Dog tick can cause those affected to develop Rocky Mountain Spotted fever.
Both the CDC and local health professionals like Kinney are urging residents to stay aware and take the steps necessary to prevent tick-borne illnesses.
“Use an EPA-registered insect repellent, and then of course after they come inside they should check their clothing for ticks, and examine gear,” Kinney said. “If they shower soon after they’ve been outside and check their body for ticks, those are all ways that they can help to prevent an illness.”
If residents fear they have contracted an illness from a tick bite, they should make sure that the tick is removed and schedule an appointment with their doctor and get tested.
Thankfully, tick season doesn’t last forever. Come late October and November, the major threat of ticks should settle down as cold weather cuts their activity.
However, rural communities should stay aware that coming into contact with ticks isn’t impossible during winter months.
Tick populations don’t die in cold temperatures; they simply go into a dormant state. Ticks enter dormancy once temperatures drop below roughly 40 degrees.
This means that if the weather warms up in the winter for any period of time, ticks may come out of dormancy until it cools again.
Residents should always do a sweep for ticks after spending any time outdoors or in tall grass.
More information on preventing and treating tick bites is available on the CDC’s “Ticks” webpage.
