Climate Change and Ticks

The climate of Massachusetts is changing due to global warming. The weather is warmer, with milder winters and hotter summers. Spring arrives earlier. Evaporation increases due to warmer temperatures which increases humidity, average rainfall, and the frequency of heavy rainstorms in some places and drought in others. In the coming years, a changing climate will continue to disrupt and harm the environment, increasing risks to human health.

Climate change is causing an extension in ticks’ breeding and biting seasons. Brief, milder winters and long, hot springs and summers encourage tick activity.

Blacklegged ticks, also called deer ticks, are commonly found in Massachusetts. These ticks carry and transmit diseases like anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Lyme disease, and Powassan virus disease. The lifecycle of these ticks is strongly influenced by temperature – deer ticks are mostly active when temperatures are above 45°F, and thrive in areas with at least 85-percent humidity. Since tick activity depends on temperatures above a certain minimum, shorter winters can extend the period when ticks are active each year, increasing the amount of time that humans are exposed to tickborne illnesses.

Lone Star Ticks and Alpha-gal Syndrome

Climate change has also contributed to expanded tick habitats – meaning that different kinds of ticks are found in locations they haven’t been found in previously. Massachusetts is seeing an increase in the Lone Star tick population – moving up from more southern states like Delaware, where it is the most common tick.

Lone Star ticks are associated with a newly recognized allergy to meat products, called Alpha-gal Syndrome (AGS). Unlike other tick-associated diseases, AGS is not caused by an infection – rather, the tick directly affects the person’s immune system, causing them to have an allergic reaction to meat. Not every exposure to alpha gal results in an allergic reaction, and the severity of allergic reaction varies (can range from being a minor reaction to anaphylaxis).

Tick Bite Prevention

When going outside in an area likely to have ticks: stick to main pathways and the center of trails; wear a light-colored, long-sleeved shirt with long pants tucked into your socks; and use insect repellents. Repellents that contain DEET can be used on your exposed skin. Permethrin is to be used on your clothes. Always follow the product instructions and use repellents with no more than 30-35% DEET on adults and 10-15% on children. Never use insect repellents on infants.

One of the most important things you can do is to check yourself for ticks at least once a day, or after you have been in a grassy, wooded area. Check inside and behind the ears, along the hairline, back of the neck, armpits, groin, legs, behind the knees, and between the toes. Remember to check your children and pets, too. Ticks can attach onto pets, and crawl from them onto you. Ticks are tiny, so be on the lookout for new "freckles".

By implementing tick prevention measures, you can keep yourself and your loved ones safe against tickborne illnesses.