As lone star ticks spread across the Southeast, Mississippi residents face a growing risk of tick-borne illness and alpha-gal syndrome, a tick-related allergy that can cause reactions to red meat.
Experts with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and The University of Southern Mississippi say warmer, humid conditions and the movement of deer, birds and pets are making it easier for people to encounter ticks in yards, wooded areas and places where animals travel.
Tick-borne illnesses on the rise
Gilbert Kersh, branch chief in the CDC’s Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, said lone star ticks are most common in the Southeast and can transmit ehrlichiosis, a tick-borne illness that has increased nationally.
“Ehrlichiosis is a disease that you can get from the lone star tick bite, and we’ve seen a trend over the last 25 years of it increasing every year,” Kersh said. “We see about a little over 2,000 cases across the U.S. every year. That’s mostly in the southeastern United States where the lone star tick is most prevalent.”
Kersh said researchers have also seen an increase in alpha-gal syndrome, which can cause a delayed allergic reaction to beef, pork and other red meats.
Symptoms can include hives, stomach issues or breathing difficulties several hours after eating meat, making the condition difficult to identify and diagnose.
The CDC reported more than 110,000 suspected cases of alpha-gal syndrome from 2010 to 2022. Because the condition requires testing and a clinical exam and may go undiagnosed, the agency estimates as many as 450,000 people in the U.S. may have been affected.
Dr. Shahid Karim, a professor of cell and molecular biology at USM’s School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences, said he and his team are studying how lone star tick bites can trigger alpha-gal syndrome.
“Looking at the test results, it’s really going up a lot, and it gets worse every year,” Kersh said. “This is something that we’re really keeping an eye on.”
Why lone star ticks are spreading
Karim said rising temperatures and humidity are helping lone star tick populations grow in Mississippi.
Ticks can be active at various times of the year and go through several developmental stages. Adult ticks lay eggs, which hatch into six-legged larvae. The larvae feed on small rodents before dropping off and molting into nymphs. Nymphs also feed on a host before molting into adult male or female ticks, which feed on larger hosts.
Karim said deer are one reason ticks move into neighborhoods and yards.
“We have deer population and they feed on the deer and then they drop off and they lay their thousands of eggs,” Karim said.
Mississippi’s white-tailed deer herd is estimated at 1.75 million, though wildlife officials have said current reporting systems provide limited county-level data on deer populations.
“The deer is passing from your backyard or in your area,” Karim said. “They can drop off some of those ticks and they can hop on you or hop on your pet.”
Karim said thousands of ticks also arrive on migrating birds during seasonal migrations through Mississippi. Because different tick stages can be present throughout the year, people may encounter ticks even during winter months such as January and February.
Pets can bring ticks closer to people
Forrest County resident Kristine Jondro, who helps care for stray and lost dogs, said she occasionally encounters animals with ticks.
“Typically, what we do is once we do a bath, we do a look over, we remove them with tweezers, and then we medicate with Credelio,” Jondro said.
Although she said she has not noticed a significant increase in ticks recently, Jondro believes more public education is needed about the risk ticks pose to pets and people.
“There should be more education,” Jondro said. “They’re so harmful, and then if they continue to stay on the dog, it can cause harm to them, whether it’s a sore, get them sick.”
Jondro said pet owners should use preventive medications to reduce the risks.
“Some ticks carry diseases, so it’s always best to treat your animals with medication that helps prevent ticks,” Jondro said.
How residents can protect themselves
Kersh said the CDC tracks tick activity partly by monitoring how often people visit emergency rooms for tick bites.
“Ticks can vary from year to year and location to location, so that’s a little rougher estimate of how many ticks are out there,” Kersh said.
Researchers say lone star ticks are more aggressive than many other tick species and are known to attach to humans and animals.
Jondro said she takes precautions when spending time outdoors by wearing long pants and long sleeves in wooded areas.
Karim encourages people to check themselves when getting in the shower and to check their pets for ticks after spending time outdoors.
“The important thing is you (check for ticks), and if you have a tick attached to your body, I think the best way is to … take that tick and ask the experts to identify (it),” Karim said.
Most tick bites do not require immediate medical care, but experts recommend residents watching for fever, headache, rash, breathing problems or other unusual symptoms after a bite and contact a medical provider if symptoms develop.
This report was produced by the Roy Howard Community Journalism Center at the University of Southern Mississippi.