Tick Populations Are Surging in Several States, Raising New Worries About Lone Star Tick Bites

A tick bite can seem like one of those small outdoor annoyances that comes with warm weather.

You find one after mowing, hiking, fishing, hunting, gardening, camping, walking the dog, or letting the kids play near the woods. You pull it off, check the spot, and move on.

But this year, tick concerns are getting harder to brush aside.

According to the New York Post, tick populations are surging in several states, including Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The report also cited CDC data showing tick-related emergency room visits were higher than usual this spring.

That is enough to get people’s attention, especially families who spend a lot of time outside once summer arrives.

Ticks are not new. People who live near woods, brush, fields, tall grass, creeks, or rural property already know to check their socks, legs, waistline, hairline, pets, and kids after being outside. But a surge in tick activity raises the stakes because it increases the chance of people being bitten without realizing it.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in April that emergency room visits for tick bites were higher than normal in many parts of the country. The CDC said weekly rates were the highest for that time of year since 2017 in every region except the South Central United States.

That does not mean every tick bite leads to serious illness.

But it does mean people should take the risk seriously.

A lot of people mainly associate ticks with Lyme disease, and that is still one of the biggest concerns. But there is another tick-related condition getting more attention: alpha-gal syndrome, sometimes called red meat allergy or tick bite meat allergy.

Alpha-gal syndrome is a potentially serious allergic condition that can happen after a tick bite. In the United States, it has been strongly associated with the Lone Star tick. The CDC says alpha-gal is a sugar molecule found in most mammals, and people with alpha-gal syndrome may react after eating red meat or being exposed to other mammal-based products.

That can include beef, pork, lamb, venison, gelatin, dairy, or other mammal-derived ingredients, depending on the person.

The strange part is the delay.

With many food allergies, the reaction happens quickly. A person eats something and knows within minutes that something is wrong. Alpha-gal reactions can show up hours later, which can make the condition hard to figure out.

Someone may eat a burger, steak, barbecue, sausage, pork chops, or venison and feel fine at first. Then later that night, they may develop hives, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, swelling, dizziness, breathing trouble, or a more severe allergic reaction.

It can look like food poisoning. It can look like a stomach bug. It can look random.

That is why a person may go through several reactions before anyone connects the dots.

The Lone Star tick is not limited to one small region. The CDC’s Lone Star tick surveillance map shows established populations across much of the eastern half of the country, with the species especially associated with the southeastern United States and expanding attention in parts of the Midwest and Northeast.

For homeowners, the concern is not just what happens on hiking trails.

Ticks can be picked up in yards, along fence lines, near brush piles, in leaf litter, around wooded edges, and in tall grass. Pets can bring ticks closer to the house. Deer, rodents, and other wildlife can also help ticks move through neighborhoods and rural properties.

That means the risk can start close to home.

Basic prevention can help. The CDC recommends using EPA-registered insect repellents, treating clothing and gear when appropriate, avoiding brushy or wooded areas with high grass and leaf litter when possible, walking in the center of trails, checking for ticks after being outside, showering after outdoor activity, and checking pets.

Yard maintenance can also make a difference.

Keeping grass cut, clearing leaf litter, trimming brush, creating a barrier between wooded areas and play spaces, and keeping outdoor gear away from tick-heavy areas can reduce exposure. For pet owners, consistent tick prevention from a veterinarian is another important step.

The New York Post report focused heavily on what homeowners can do to make yards less inviting for ticks, including mowing regularly, removing leaf litter, and creating barriers between lawns and wooded areas.

For parents, that advice matters because kids may not notice ticks right away.

They may run through grass, sit near trees, play with pets, or come inside without checking themselves. Ticks often attach in hidden areas, including behind the knees, around the waist, under arms, behind ears, in the hairline, and around sock lines.

The same goes for adults.

A person can spend a few minutes in the wrong patch of grass and end up with a tick attached without feeling anything.

The warning this summer is not to panic. It is to pay attention.

Ticks are small, but the problems linked to tick bites can be much bigger than the bite itself. Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and alpha-gal syndrome are all reasons to take prevention seriously.

And with tick-related emergency room visits already higher than usual in many parts of the country, it is a good reminder to check yourself before a small bite turns into a much larger problem.