Stephen Rich Answers Media Questions on the Lone Star Tick
Content
As warm weather has settled over New England this summer, ticks have been emerging in large numbers across the region, with tiny black-legged tick nymphs posing the greatest threat.
Because these immature ticks are so small, they often go unnoticed, yet they are frequent carriers of the bacteria that cause Lyme disease and other illnesses.
Expanding deer populations and milder winters linked to climate change are fueling both an explosion of black-legged ticks and the arrival of new tick species—including the Lone Star tick—in the region. Public health experts warn that official case counts capture only a fraction of the true burden, with insurance data suggesting many more infections than CDC reports, and the risk is expected to keep rising. This trend has been increasingly prevalent in Cape Cod.
The Boston Globe recently spoke with a number of experts on ticks and tick-borne illnesses. Stephen Rich, professor in the Department of Microbiology and executive director of the New England Center of Excellence in Vector-borne Diseases (NEWVEC) at UMass Amherst, was asked about the Lone Star tick:
"This aggressive human-feeding tick, which can cause an allergy to red meat, was historically found further south than New England. Now, warmer winters, suitable woodland habitat, and the proliferation of deer have caused it to expand into our region, said Stephen Rich, a zoonotic disease researcher and professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Adult female Lone Star ticks can be identified by a bright yellowish-white dot at the tip of their scutum (the shield) on a light brown body; males are light brown and sometimes have mottled black scutums. Both can transmit disease to humans."
— The Boston Globe
Click here to read the Boston Globe article. Or, if you have access to UMass Amherst Libraries, you can read Boston Globe articles through ProQuest. Related content can be found on WBOS and in The Provincetown Independent.