This summer tick season is expected to be worse than usual. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the highest rate of emergency room visits from tick bites since 2017 across most of the country.
“It’s definitely concerning to see new ticks in new areas and then diseases that follow,” said Rebecca Osborn, an epidemiologist for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
Osborn tracks ticks and the viruses that they carry. She explained ticks are spreading due to our changing climate.
“So, warmer temperatures can bring ticks into new areas,” Osborn said.
One type of tick health officials are keeping an eye out for is the lone star tick. It can carry alpha-gal, which can create a red meat allergy in infected people.
They’re also tracking Powassan, a virus that attacks the central nervous system and can lead to memory loss, difficulty speaking and seizures.
