It’s going to be another bad season for ticks across central and northern New York this year, and Lyme disease is not the only concern when it comes to tick bites.
Saravanan Thangmani, head of Upstate Medical University’s tick testing program, says ticks are more likely than ever to carry some kind of tick-borne bacteria.
"Last year, 35% of the ticks carried at least one tick-borne agent. Lyme, anaplasmosis, and Babesia,” said Thangamani. “But now we are seeing 38%. So there is a 3% increase in the pathogen prevalence in the ticks, generally speaking."
The biggest increase comes from ticks that carry the bacteria that causes anaplasmosis, up 100% percent. And local health care providers are also seeing an increase in the number of cases of the bacterial illness. Thangmani advises anyone who is bitten, to look for flu-like symptoms afterwards.
"When they get a tick bite and then let's say two to three weeks post a tick bite, if they get a febrile illness, it is definitely a tick-borne disease,” he said. “So it's best to consult with the healthcare provider to do, you know, blood test and other tests to make sure that they cover everything."
Thangmani says if residents find a tick, they should get it tested.
“Definitely we are seeing more ticks and also more pathogen-positive ticks. So this is definitely a cause of concern,” he said. “So I always tell people if you think that you got bitten by a tick, pull the tick safely, gently and then get it tested.”
Onondaga County subsidizes tick testing at Upstate, costing between $10-40 per tick. There are also private labs that provide the service.
