A meadow tick (Dermacentor reticulatus). The meadow tick is also known as the alluvial tick, winter tick or variegated tick. Photo: Patrick Pleul/dpa (Photo by Patrick Pleul/picture alliance via Getty Images)
NEW YORK - Tick season is starting earlier than usual, with a notably high number of bites already being reported nationwide.
Some U.S. doctors are worried about the potential for a bad year for tick-borne diseases.
What they're saying:
"Tick season is here and these tiny biters can make you seriously sick," Alison Hinckley, PhD, epidemiologist and Lyme disease expert with CDC's Division of Vector-Borne Diseases said, while detailing some of the steps people can take to protect themselves when they go outdoors.
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What you can do:
When outdoors, keep an eye out for grassy spots at the edge of wooded areas. Ticks will lie in wait there with their arms extended, ready to latch onto a passing person or dog. Hinckley also suggests wearing an EPA-registered insect repellent and permethrin-treated clothing, saying, "These simple steps can go a long way in protecting you and your family from diseases spread by ticks."
Ticks found on the body should be removed immediately, and anyone who experiences a rash, fever, or other symptoms in the days or weeks after a bite should seek medical attention immediately.
Why you should care:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an early advisory to the public this week to guard against ticks.
Current data are very limited, but the early signs are not good.
The CDC's tracking system shows that weekly rates of ER visits for tick bites are the highest for this time of year since 2017. That's true in all regions of the country, except the south-central United States.
Dig deeper:
Ticks are small, eight-legged bloodsucking parasites — arachnids, not insects — that feed on animals and sometimes people.
Tick populations vary throughout the year, and their numbers depend on a few factors. Climate change is widely believed to be having an effect: Ticks like warm, humid weather, and more can be seen after a mild winter. The more deer and mice available for them to feed on may also factor.
Some ticks are infected with germs that can cause serious diseases, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and alpha-gal syndrome, a red meat allergy. Lyme disease is the most common, with an estimated 476,000 people treated for it each year, according to the CDC. Infections are commonly treated with antibiotics.
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So far this year, most ticks seen in the Northeast have been large adult ticks. But in the weeks ahead, juvenile nymphs will become more common. The emergence of nymphs, along with more people spending time outdoors, are among the reasons tick bites tend to be highest in May. Worse, tiny nymphs attached to people are harder to see — and often are there longer — leading to an increased risk of infections, experts say.
Connecticut has a connection to tick-borne disease — Lyme disease is named after a town there. And earlier this month, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station reported that residents were already submitting an average of 30 ticks per day for testing.
State officials also said an unusually high percentage of the submitted ticks — 40% — tested positive for the bacteria that cause Lyme disease.
Several factors have been helping tick populations expand, including unusually high numbers of mice in the last two years, said Scott Williams, a tick researcher at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.
All we have so far is an early snapshot, said Megan Linske, a wildlife biologist with the same agency. She expects the problem to continue to worsen, with more ticks spreading over more areas.
How to check for ticks
Check your clothing for ticks and do a full-body check, including under the arms and behind ears, knees and hair. The Mayo Clinic’s Bobbi Pritt recommends people who are out all day do a quick check for ticks every few hours. Additionally, she says taking a shower after going back inside will wash off any unattached ticks and make it more likely to spot other ticks.
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Use tweezers to remove the tick and grasp it as close to the skin as possible to pull from the head. If you don’t have them handy, you can also use your fingernails, the edge of a credit card or any semi-sharp object.
How to check pets for ticks
Cats and dogs who go outside present a double danger: having a tick themselves or bringing one into the house that could latch onto someone else. The CDC advises checking pets daily, particularly around the ears, eyes, and tail, under the collar and front legs, and between the legs and toes.
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Additionally, the agency notes dogs are particularly vulnerable to tick bites and tickborne diseases. There are no vaccines to protect them either. That’s why it is important to talk to a veterinarian about the best tick prevention products.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in this story comes primarily from U.S. public health officials and medical experts, including data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This story was reported from Los Angeles.