Connecticut officials are warning that this is shaping up to be an especially bad year for ticks, raising the risk of Lyme disease as residents head outdoors for the summer. The state's health commissioner issued the warning, urging people to take precautions before spending time in grassy and wooded areas. Officials stressed that with vigilance, most tick-borne illnesses can be caught and treated.
Health experts note that ticks generally need to be attached for at least 48 hours to transmit Lyme disease, which is why prompt removal and attention matter. "We want to make sure to seek medical attention because most of the tick-borne diseases are treatable," the commissioner said, framing early action as the best defense against serious illness.
The numbers help explain the concern. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station says it has already received more than 3,700 ticks at its lab this year, roughly 150 a day. That is higher than last year and even tops 2017, which had been the highest number on record, according to the station's figures.
Of the ticks submitted, about 40% have tested positive for Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, officials said. The combination of high tick numbers and a high positivity rate is what has prompted the heightened warning to the public ahead of the busy summer season.
Experts also say the pattern is shifting, with more ticks now being found near the shore rather than only in the traditional wooded areas. That change is pushing officials to broaden their advice beyond hikers and people living near forests to include those spending time along the coast.
Although this past winter was colder and snowier than recent years, that did little to thin the tick population. Officials explained that snow on the ground acted like a blanket for ticks, protecting them from the bitter cold. They added that the impact of climate change has gone beyond the point where a single cold winter could meaningfully reduce the number of ticks in the region.
To stay safe, the CDC and state officials recommend staying out of tall grass, wearing protective clothing treated with tick repellent, and carefully checking yourself and your pets before coming back inside. Catching and removing a tick early, they say, remains one of the simplest ways to avoid Lyme disease and the other illnesses ticks can carry.