Stephen M. Rich, Microbiology, and director of the Laboratory of Medical Zoology, says in 2014 he began seeing Lone Star ticks being sent for testing. The laboratory tests ticks to see if they are carrying a variety of diseases including Lyme disease.
The concern is intensified by the fact that the Lone Star, although not a carrier of Lyme disease like other ticks, is aggressive, tends to move in groups and has a nasty bite that can cause allergies to red meat and cats.
A Lone Star bite can also cause fever, headaches, nausea, weakness and fatigue in both dogs and humans.