Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign identified concerning vector-borne illness trends in the state, according to a press release.

What's happening?

Vector-borne illnesses are pathogens transmitted by insect bites, often mosquitoes, but also by several species of ticks.

By now, Americans in many states are aware of illnesses like Lyme disease, which is prevalent in areas like the Northeast and spread by deer ticks.

What was alarming about the new University of Illinois study, published in the September edition of the international peer-reviewed journal Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases, was that it focused on neither a single species nor a specific tick-borne pathogen.

Instead, researchers tracked three species of tick: the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum), the black-legged or deer tick (Ixodes scapularis), and the dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis). As for associated diseases, researchers identified at least eight.

Anaplasmosis, alpha-gal syndrome, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, Heartland virus, Lyme disease, tularemia, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever were all cited in their findings. Researchers tallied recorded cases in the state between 2018 and 2022.

Lyme disease was by far the most prevalent in Illinois, with 1,728 cases identified in the research in that five-year span. Researchers counted 350 instances of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, along with 219 cases of ehrlichiosis.

The lone star tick has been in the news due to a sharp uptick in cases of alpha-gal syndrome, which can cause a serious intolerance to meat, in areas like Martha's Vineyard. Lead author Rebecca Smith indicated the species spreads ehrlichiosis, tularemia, and the Heartland virus.

Smith said the Heartland virus is "a condition with low incidence, thankfully, but high mortality [rate]," which is concerning because the lone star tick is most pervasive in southern Illinois. 

Why are these findings concerning?

An uptick in population numbers for one tick or in cases of one illness is one thing, but this research identified a cross-species threat involving several pathogens.

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Although researchers worked in and focused on Illinois, cases of vector-borne illness spread by ticks have been on the rise in the United States.

In April, the Bloomberg School at Johns Hopkins University published a public health bulletin concerning the rise in tick-borne disease, noting that an overheating planet is "increasing [the scope of] where and when ticks can thrive."

Binghamton University issued a similar warning on Oct. 15, and associate director of the Tick-borne Disease Center Mandy Roome explained why in plain terms.

"Ticks can now move further north than they could before and establish populations. Going back maybe 15 or 20 years ago, there wasn't much of an issue," she began. 

"Ticks were still around, people still got tick-borne diseases, but it wasn't quite the problem that it is now. We're also having really mild winters," Roome added.

What's being done about it?

As Johns Hopkins' bulletin noted, in the absence of vaccines and with "limited treatment options," avoiding tick bites is currently the best approach.

Wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, sidestepping tall grass or brush, and using a safe insect repellent are advised.

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