An Uptick in Ticks: Small Creatures that Carry Big Risks
- MedReport Foundation
- 42 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Emergency room visits for tick bites are up, causing concerns for increases in serious tick-bornehealth issues (1). The graph below shows April data as record-breaking compared to the last five years. The Midwest and Northeast account for the largest number of reported exposures (1). Ticks are known as vectors of eight types of bacterial infections, three viral infections, and a parasitic infection. Ticks can even cause a food allergy to red meat (2,3).
What Increases Risk?
Outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, hunting, and gardening place you directly in a tick’s habitat (2). Living or playing near grassy, brushy, or wooded areas can increase the risk of exposure to tick bites (2). Leaving grass long and leaf litter on the ground provides an
environment that ticks love. Pets, especially dogs, can carry ticks into the house, raising the risk of exposure. Ticks are active year-round but are more active when the weather is above freezing (2).
How to Prevent Tick Bites?
Use insecticides to prevent tick bites in high-risk areas. Examples of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved insecticides include DEET, Picaridin, IR 3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, Para-menthane-diol, and 2-undecanone (2). When in tick-prone areas, wear long sleeves and long pants to cover skin. Treat boots, socks, pants, shirts, jackets, and tents with 0.5% Permethrin (2). Light-colored clothing makes it easier to spot ticks crawling on you. Discuss preventative measures for pets with your veterinarian (2). Shower and do a full body tick check on all family members as soon as possible after being outdoors (2).
Tick Removal
Ticks like to bite in areas like the hairline and scalp, around the waist, behind the knees, under the arms, between the legs, in the belly button, or in and around the ears. As soon as a tick is found, if it has latched on, use clean, pointed tweezers to grab the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull straight up (2). If you are unable to remove some of the parts within the skin, leave it and allow the skin to heal (2). The goal is to remove as much of the tick as possible, then wash the area with soap and water or alcohol (2). Do not use petroleum jelly, heat, or nail polish to remove the tick, as it will release more infected saliva in a stress response (2,3). Anyone removing the tick should also wash their hands with soap and water to minimize exposure to the tick’s microorganisms (5).
Other Steps to Take
In areas with a high incidence of Lyme Disease, like the Northeastern, Upper Midwestern, and Pacific Northwestern United States, a one-time prophylactic dose of doxycycline is sometimes recommended (2). The recommendation depends on a few factors, including a 72-hour window since the bite, identification of the tick as a Black Legged Tick, and the tick being fully engorged with blood from feeding during a long attachment to the host (2). If your situation meets these requirements or you have questions and concerns, contact your healthcare provider. Otherwise, mark the tick bite on a calendar and watch symptoms over the next month, which is the typical incubation period for most tick-borne illnesses (2). Many illnesses related to tick bites have similar symptoms, including fever, chills, headache, rash, and muscle aches (2). Should symptoms appear within thirty days from the tick bite, contact your healthcare provider right away, providing information about the tick bite. Summer is fast approaching. It is too soon to tell if the high number of tick bites this spring will mean record-breaking tick bites all year, but you can still take control. Preventing tick bites is the best defense.
References
1. CDC. Tick bite data tracker. Ticks. July 11, 2024. Accessed April 29, 2026.
2. CDC. Tickborne diseases of the United States. Ticks. March 10, 2025. Accessed April
guide/index.html
3. Understanding and managing Alpha-Gal syndrome for healthcare providers (web-based)-
WB4954. Web-based Training Self Study presented at: July 8, 2025.
4. Supporting patients with Alpha-gal Syndrome (AGS). Published online April 29, 2026.
A_SupportPatients-Alpha-Gal_ForHCPs_508.pdf
5. Diagnosis and management of tickborne rickettsial diseases: Rocky Mountain spotted
fever and other spotted fever group rickettsioses, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis-United
States. A practical guide for health care and public health professionals. Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report. 2016;65(2).
Tickborne-Rickettsial-Diseases.pdf
