Cover Story: Tick-related ER visits surge this spring

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:00]There aren't a lot of dangerous animals where we live, but lately it seems we're hearing more and more alarming news about tiny creatures you can barely see becoming hazards to our health. Today we're talking about ticks, and social media is talking about a new kind of tick that can bite you and make you allergic to red meat. How much of a danger do these ticks pose in the valley? And what can you do to guard against them? Matt Stone explains in today's cover story.

[00:00:31]Since the [music] season did start earlier, we're seeing higher exposure rates. We're seeing more emergency room visits because of ticks. The Pennsylvania Tick Research Lab at East Stroudsburg University tracks tick numbers and tick-related infections in the state.

[00:00:47]They believe there aren't necessarily more ticks this year. People are just more informed and are reporting more bites. Exposure to tick bites is most likely to occur in your own backyard. Um it's not just when you're doing activities like hiking or camping. Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in our area. Uh anywhere between 30 and 60% of ticks could be carrying it in given areas.

[00:01:10]It is still very difficult in human diagnostics to get testing for it. Our tests still rely on an antibody response to the bacteria.

[00:01:21]Now let's talk about the lone star tick.

[00:01:23]This is the one that carries alpha-gal syndrome, and that makes people allergic to meat and dairy. It seems ridiculous that this could happen, but scientists say it is naturally occurring. Ticks pick up pathogens from other animals, from mice to moose, and then pass them on to us. It starts with a carbohydrate molecule found in mammals, but not found in humans. This molecule is also in the saliva of ticks. So when the lone star tick bites you, it introduces this molecule into your bloodstream and your body makes antibodies against it.

[00:01:58]And these antibodies um will recognize this molecule on meat when you eat the meat, and these antibodies cause allergic reactions.

[00:02:07]Right now, there are no treatments or cure for alpha-gal syndrome, but it may just go away after some time. Getting bitten by uh ticks again and again can can prolong your um symptoms and and make it uh so that this could be a lifetime uh condition. The good news is the lone star tick isn't really in our area, well, yet. But it can be found in southern Ohio. The bad news is Lyme is.

[00:02:35]One of the best ways you can protect yourself is by treating your clothing and gear with uh 0.5% permethrin.

[00:02:42]This is a product that you can buy and you can use to treat your own clothes, or you can buy clothes that are pretreated with that. That's a very effective method to uh prevent tick bites.

[00:02:52]Also, avoid exposure to tall grassy wooded areas where ticks are commonly found. Wear protective clothing like long sleeves, long pants, and socks to limit direct skin contact. Perform thorough tick checks all over your body, and especially those hard-to-see areas.

[00:03:10]And shower as soon as possible when you get inside. That may help remove ticks that haven't yet embedded. If you do get a tick on you, get it off ASAP. We know that Lyme disease can be prevented if ticks are removed within 24 hours of of when they bite you.

[00:03:27]It's more precise to test the actual tick to see if it has Lyme. Testing labs like East Stroudsburg can test that quickly to get you to treatment sooner.

[00:03:37]If you remove that tick, seal it in a clean zip lock bag, visit our website ticklab.org, and then you're going to ship that tick in the mail. Yes, all that rigmarole to get ready for outdoors can be a pain, but a few minutes to prepare before you go outside is a great idea and it can pay off in the long run.

[00:03:57]With today's cover story, I'm Matt Stone.