Disease-spreading arthropods are expanding, spreading diseases; awareness and precautions can help humans

Map shows counties with at least one case in 2001 or 2020 (Map by Carl Churchill, Wall Street Journal, from CDC data)

Would-be Jeopardy clue: "A small, wingless, bloodsucking arthropod. Response: What is "a tick?" Correct, for $400!

Speaking of ticks, "People won't stop mailing them to Griffin Dill. Ticks arrive in zip-lock bags, plucked from pets, hikers and homeowners from across Maine," reports Brianna Abbott of The Wall Street Journal. "Dill, manager of the Tick Lab at the University of Maine in Orono, said there used to be a lull from around mid-December to March. Now the ticks are showing up year-round. . . . More ticks are arriving from farther north in the state, and about two-thirds of them are found around people's homes."

That sounds disgusting. "Dill tests the parasites for infectious diseases including Lyme and babesiosis, a flu-like illness ranging from asymptomatic to life-threatening. He and his colleagues are also testing for diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which isn't commonly found in Maine. Dill told Abbott, "We wanted to make sure we're testing for the pathogens we know are here and the ones that might be knocking on our doorstep. . . .The lab isn't finding Rocky Mountain spotted fever, he said, but there have been increases in the prevalence of Lyme and babesiosis over the past five years."

What is responsible? "Ticks are on the move in the U.S., thanks in part to expanding deer populations . . . Shorter, warmer winters have lengthened the time ticks can be active, as places including New England and the upper Midwest become hotter and wetter. Many ticks and mosquitoes need a warm, humid climate to thrive," Abbott adds. "John Aucott has watched the geographic expansion of tick-borne diseases over the past two decades reflected in the patients who come to see him. When he arrived at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Lyme disease was mostly a coastal disease. Now, it is in eastern Ohio and West Virginia, he said."

Deer tick or Black-legged tick

Abbott writes, "Cases of tick-borne disease reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention more than doubled in the U.S. between 2004 and 2019, when some 50,800 cases were reported. . . . .The tick that carries Lyme disease, the deer tick or black-legged tick, lives throughout the eastern U.S. The number of counties where black-legged ticks are established has more than doubled in the past two decades, according to CDC researchers. Lone Star ticks, which can cause a red-meat allergy known as alpha-gal syndrome in people they bite, are moving up from the Southeast."

Because ticks are moving to new places, many people are unaware of the risks. "When Mary Black was told by an allergist that she should be tested for alpha-gal syndrome, she had never heard of it," Abbott reports. "The 37-year-old nurse and Oklahoma resident had been experiencing repeated bouts of facial swelling, hives and joint pain since summer 2022, with no discernible explanation. She was diagnosed in February and is adjusting to cutting out red meat and other mammal products."

How do you avoid ticks? To prevent tick encounters, humans can use good post-nature habits. Abbott adds, "Wearing long sleeves, using bug spray, doing tick-checks and showering soon after being outdoors can help prevent tick and mosquito bites, the CDC says. . . . [Should you find ticks] People should remove ticks with tweezers and clean the bite area and their hands with soap and water or rubbing alcohol, the CDC says. Flush ticks down the toilet or put in a sealed container and send for testing."