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By Melissa Fleur Afshar
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Tick bites are on the rise and usually occur after a walk through tall grass or an afternoon in the backyard.
This summer, doctors say tick season's calculus is shifting, as new pathogens spread alongside the ticks that carry them, while diagnostic blind spots leave some patients being treated for the wrong disease, making prevention more important than ever.
"Tick-borne illness reports are increasing, in part possibly due to regional climate changes and expanding insect and tick habitats," Dr. Natasha Wyndham Hanners, an infectious disease specialist at Children's Health and assistant professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center, told Newsweek.
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The warning arrives after scientists uncovered how a family of tick-borne viruses called orthonairoviruses can dodge the human immune system, and as officials track ticks carrying dangerous, lesser-known pathogens across the U.S. In states with dense lone star tick populations, cases of Alpha-gal syndrome—a tick-triggered red meat allergy—are climbing. In New York, a patient treated for Lyme disease was later found infected instead with Bourbon virus, a mix-up that could recur as look-alike illnesses spread.
Protect Yourself With Clothes, Spray and Showers
Dr. Linden Hu, co-director of the Tufts University Lyme Disease Initiative and Professor of Immunology at Tufts University School of Medicine, affirmed to Newsweek that prevention and timing matter most when protecting yourself against ticks.
"Because it takes some time between when a tick attaches and the bacteria causing Lyme disease or the parasite causing Babesia are transmitted, doing daily tick checks and removing ticks is effective at reducing your chances of getting disease," Hu said. "Showering after you have been potentially exposed to a tick before they attach is a very simple and effective way of preventing tick bites."
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The Lyme disease expert also recommends DEET or picaridin repellents and permethrin-treated clothing, both safe when used properly.
Dr. Ayesha Bryant, clinical advisor of Alpas Wellness in Maryland, echoed Hu's message.
"Preventing tick bites initially remains the most effective means of protecting against infection," Bryant told Newsweek, recommending long sleeves and trousers, EPA-registered repellents, permethrin on gear, and "a comprehensive examination of one's skin for attached ticks."
Showering within two hours, she added, "may assist in removing unattached ticks."
How to Remove a Tick Without Making It Worse
Following Hu and Bryant's advice reduces risk, but if a tick does end up attaching after a long walk, there are a few things that should be done.
Bob Gilbert, a board-certified entomologist with Blue Sky Pest Control, told Newsweek that ticks can be removed at home, but that common removal tricks can backfire.
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"Do not burn it, twist it, smother it, or crush it with your fingers," he said.
Use fine-tipped tweezers, he continued, adding: "Grasp the tick close to the skin and pull straight upward with steady pressure."
Hu agreed that removal need not be perfect.
"It is ok if some of the mouthparts are left behind. Do not try to burn the tick, use Vaseline or alcohol," he said.
Gilbert recommends that the outdoorsy create a removal kit—including tweezers, alcohol to preserve the tick, and antiseptic—since a saved tick can later be tested.
After outdoor exposure, "always perform a tick check immediately," he added, checking the scalp, ears, navel, armpits and groin.
How to Keep Your Environment Safe
The fight against ticks does not stop at the skin—it extends to the yard itself.
Ticks are commonly found in transition areas where lawn meets shrubs, woods, fields, brush or leaf litter, Gilbert explained, so homeowners should keep grass cut, remove leaf litter, reduce brush, and create separation between play areas and wooded or brushy edges.
"If ticks are regularly found on the property, homeowners should hire an experienced pest control company that understands tick control and can treat the right areas," Gilbert said.
Pets are part of the equation too. Dogs and cats should be maintained on veterinarian-recommended flea and tick prevention, Gilbert said, since untreated animals can carry ticks into the yard and home, raising the risk for both pets and people. He also advised minimizing food and shelter that might draw wildlife into the yard, since deer, rodents and other animals often ferry ticks in with them.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Kara Dolman and Gray R. Thomas
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