What to Do If You Find a Tick on Your Body, According to an Expert
Tick activity is rising nationwide, with pets often bringing them indoors. Safe removal and symptom monitoring are critical, as Lyme disease and rare illnesses like Rickettsia lanei remain risks. ER visits have climbed, particularly in the Midwest and Connecticut. Experts stress calm handling and prompt medical attention for signs of infection.
What changed
New guidance from Dr. Jennifer Chovitch clarifies tick prevention and removal steps amid growing concerns over rising tick populations linked to warmer weather.
Live updates
-
Tick bites surge: Expert steps for removal and disease watch
confidence 92%Tick activity is rising nationwide, with pets often bringing them indoors. Safe removal and symptom monitoring are critical, as Lyme disease and rare illnesses like Rickettsia lanei remain risks. ER visits have climbed, particularly in the Midwest and Connecticut. Experts stress calm handling and prompt medical attention for signs of infection.
What's confirmed:
- Warmer weather increases outdoor activity and tick exposure, with seasonal peaks in bites requiring vigilance.
- Pets frequently carry ticks indoors, making them common initial vectors for human bites.
- Lyme disease and alpha-gal syndrome remain primary concerns from tick bites, alongside emerging rare illnesses such as Rickettsia lanei.
- Emergency room visits for tick-related illnesses have risen, especially in the Midwest and Connecticut.
- Tick populations are expected to grow further due to climate factors, heightening risk during outdoor seasons.
Still unconfirmed:
- A specific tick-borne illness called Rickettsia lanei is described as rare, but no confirmed cases or prevalence data are cited in multiple sources.
-
Tick bites surging: Expert steps to remove ticks and avoid illness
confidence 98%Tick bites are rising across the U.S., with pets often the initial carriers. Experts emphasize calm removal and monitoring for symptoms. Rare tick-borne illnesses like Rickettsia lanei are emerging, while Lyme disease and alpha-gal syndrome remain key concerns. ER visits are up, especially in the Midwest and Connecticut.
What's confirmed:
- Remove a tick using fine-tipped tweezers, grasping it as close to the skin as possible and pulling straight out with steady pressure.
- Do not use folk remedies like burning the tick or applying nail polish, as these can increase infection risk.
- Clean the bite area with rubbing alcohol, soap, or iodine after removal, then monitor for symptoms like rash, fever, or fatigue for up to 30 days.
- Most tick bites start with pets bringing ticks indoors, making households a common transmission point.
- ER visits for tick bites are rising sharply in the Midwest, with Missouri and Illinois facing particularly severe seasons.
- Doctors in Connecticut report an unusually high rate of disease-carrying ticks, raising Lyme disease concerns.
- Alpha-gal syndrome, a meat allergy triggered by tick bites, is increasingly reported by health officials.
- The bacterium Rickettsia lanei, a rare tick-borne illness, has infected at least four people in the U.S., including three in California.
Still unconfirmed:
- A 'giant' tick was removed from a visitor at Lake of the Ozarks, described as hissing like a snake (no verified size or species confirmed).