Tick season is ramping up faster than it has in years — and sending more Americans to the emergency room.
Cycles of high tick activity are coming earlier and staying later, thanks to factors including shorter seasons, warmer winters and even acorns.
This can be seen in data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Tick Bite Data Tracker, which tracks tick bite-related emergency room visits across the country. About 114 out of every 100,000 emergency department visits nationwide were attributed to tick bites during the last week of April — the highest rate since at least 2017, the CDC said.
With more ticks and more bites comes a higher risk of illness, such as Lyme disease, experts warn. Here’s what you need to know to stay safe this summer, including how to protect yourself and your pets.
Know the Risks: Time, Location and Exposure
Experts warned of three common misconceptions that could increase your tick risk this year: seasonality, location and exposure — especially pet exposure.
The idea that “tick season” is relegated to a few short summer months is outdated, meaning you and your pets need to be protected year-round, not just when the weather is warm.
There’s also the popular misnomer that you only need to worry about ticks after hiking a trail or spending time in the woods.
“Research shows that many disease infections stem from tick bites that occur in residential settings, so in people’s own backyards,” said Dr. Jim Fredericks, chief entomologist with the National Pest Management Association.
Equally important are “ecotone areas” — transition zones between a well-manicured lawn and wilder, shrubby land. “Those are the places where ticks are going to be most likely to be found,” Fredericks said. “At the edge, where it goes into maybe a more wild area, that’s where ticks are bound to be.”
Even indoor pets should be on an anti-pest regimen and tested annually. Living in an area with historically low tick activity doesn’t provide innate protection.
“One of the best ways that veterinarians and people can stay attuned to this is by making sure that dogs are getting tested at least annually for some of these really important vector-borne diseases,” said Dr. Kathryn Reif, associate professor of parasitology at Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
Tick screenings are simple blood tests done at your vet once yearly, added Dr. Casey Locklear of Elanco Animal Health. They can also detect tick-borne disease in a pet showing no obvious symptoms.
How to Prevent Tick Exposure
Prevention is key in combatting an ever-expanding tick population, experts say.
Because residential yards are prime bite zones, Fredericks advises taking preventive steps at home. You can start by:
- Keeping grass trimmed and removing brush and leaf piles.
- Creating barriers between your property and wilder, overgrown areas.
- Using the “towel drag” method: dragging a white towel along mowed grass and checking it for ticks every few feet.
- Asking a pest-control specialist about safe lawn treatments.
When spending time outdoors, you should:
- Wear insect repellent.
- Cover exposed skin with clothing and proper footwear.
- Remove clothing and do a full tick check as soon as you return home.
How to Check Your Body for Ticks
Ticks can attach to any exposed skin but are often found in warmer, hidden areas. The CDC recommends checking these spots carefully:
- In and around the hair
- Around and inside the ears
- The back
- Underarms
- Waistline
- Belly button
- Between the legs and in the groin area
- Legs and behind the knees
- Behind or between the toes
How to Check Your Pet for Ticks
Dogs and cats can carry ticks buried in their fur. Check your pet’s entire body after outdoor time — and daily as part of a standard routine. The longer a tick is attached, the greater the risk of disease transmission, Reif noted.
According to Locklear and the American Kennel Club, pay special attention to:
- The head and base of the ears
- The abdomen (especially the underside)
- Between the toes
- The tail, especially near the base
- The groin
- Eyelids
- Under the collar
- Under the arms
“Work with your veterinarian to get on a monthly tick and flea protection. If you’re in a Lyme endemic area, talk to your vet about getting your dog vaccinated,” Locklear said. “Those three things really are an ounce of prevention that creates a pound of cure.”
How to Remove a Tick
If you find a tick, grasp it firmly with tweezers near the skin and apply even, steady pressure until the entire body — including the head — comes away, according to the CDC.
Dispose of the tick by sealing it in a container, wrapping it in tape, flushing it down the toilet, or placing it in alcohol. Clean the bite area and your hands thoroughly with soap and water, rubbing alcohol, or hand sanitizer.
Is There a Lyme Disease Vaccine for Humans?
Multiple vaccine options already exist for dogs and cats against Lyme disease — the illness most commonly transmitted by ticks. Ask your vet about the best option for your animal.
A human Lyme disease vaccine is in development by Pfizer and partner Valneva. The companies announced in March that it demonstrated a 73.2% efficacy rate in late-stage clinical trials.
Reporting by Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY.
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