Ticks can transmit a wide variety of troubling illnesses, including some that can be harder to spot than Lyme disease.
As Newsweek detailed, doctors and researchers in the United States have said that has made simple bite prevention and symptom recognition more urgent.
What's happening?
Concern is rising not only because tick-borne infections are appearing in more places, but also because scientists are learning how some of these pathogens can slip past the body's early defenses.
Experts are tracking several threats at once, from the continued spread of ticks such as the Asian longhorned tick to anaplasmosis and nairoviruses drawing new attention.
"It is true that both mosquito and tick-borne illness reports, more inclusively called 'vector-borne' illnesses, are increasing, in part possibly due to regional climate changes and expanding insect and tick habitats," Dr. Natasha Wyndham Hanners, an infectious disease specialist, commented to Newsweek.
Spread by the blacklegged deer tick, anaplasmosis is a bacterial infection that can cause fever, chills, headache, and muscle aches. Because it usually does not produce Lyme disease's familiar bull's-eye rash, it can be easy to miss.
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Another area of study is orthonairoviruses, a group of tick-borne viruses that includes some severe human pathogens. A University of California, Riverside, study found that these viruses can shut down important immune warning signals, allowing them to get past the body's initial defenses.
Why does it matter?
The risk is no longer confined to one familiar tick disease or one region. Physicians are increasingly being asked to think beyond Lyme, especially when patients develop vague, flu-like symptoms after spending time outdoors.
That can make diagnosis difficult. Craig Bober, a New Jersey primary care doctor at Inspira Health, told Newsweek these illnesses can overlap in symptoms, which is why blood tests are often needed to identify the right treatment.
As ticks spread into new places and testing improves, doctors are identifying infections that may previously have gone unrecognized.
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Everyday outdoor activities like hiking, gardening, walking the dog, or children playing in the yard may require a little more health planning during peak tick season.
What can I do?
Prevention steps are straightforward and can reduce the chances of a bite, Newsweek said.
To lower the risk, experts recommend Environmental Protection Agency-registered repellents such as DEET, picaridin, or IR3535, along with protective clothing like long sleeves and pants tucked into socks. Clothing and gear can also be treated with permethrin.
After coming indoors, try to shower within two hours and check your whole body carefully for ticks, especially the scalp, behind the ears, the armpits, and the backs of the knees. Some ticks may not attach right away.
If you find an attached tick, use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp it near the skin and pull upward in one steady motion, then clean the area immediately.
If you start feeling sick afterward, don't wait for a rash. Instead, contact a health care provider. Emerging tick-borne diseases may not resemble the cases many people have heard about before.
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