Tag

Lone Star Tick

All articles tagged with #lone star tick

health1 month ago•4 min saved

New York Faces STARI Mystery as Lone Star Tick Spreads North

In New York, doctors report an 8-year-old girl with a bull’s-eye rash who was diagnosed with STARI after a lone star tick bite. STARI’s cause remains unclear—potential infection with Borrelia lonestari or a tick bite hypersensitivity—and there are no specific tests; diagnosis relies on ruling out Lyme disease and identifying a lone star tick. As lone star ticks expand into the Northeast and Midwest, misdiagnosis could rise, highlighting the need for better diagnostics and tick species identification, along with preserving ticks for study.

via Gizmodo|

#borrelia-lonestari #health #lone-star-tick

health-and-wellness1 month ago•4 min saved

Illinois Parks Among U.S. Tick-Bite Risk Hotspots as Alpha-Gal Syndrome Cases Rise

Two Illinois state parks—Starved Rock and Mississippi Palisades—rank among the highest U.S. tick-borne illness risk sites per World Atlas, due to dense woods and heavy visitation. Health experts warn of a rising alpha-gal syndrome, a meat allergy linked to bites from the lone star tick; CDC estimates over 110,000 suspected AGS cases (2010–2022) with up to about 450,000 affected when underreporting is considered, and Illinois health officials note increasing case reports as awareness grows.

via NBC 5 Chicago|

#alpha-gal-syndrome #health-and-wellness #lone-star-tick

health1 month ago•7 min saved

Illinois Faces Surge in Tick-Linked Alpha-Gal Allergy

Illinois is seeing an uptick in alpha-gal syndrome, a life-threatening meat allergy triggered by lone-star tick bites as tick habitats expand in the Midwest. Symptoms typically appear 2–6 hours after consuming meat or dairy and can range from mild to severe; AGS is caused by an immune response to a sugar found in most mammal meat, not a bacteria or virus. Awareness by health officials is rising, with the Illinois Department of Public Health noting reported cases and CDC estimates suggesting hundreds of thousands may be affected overall. Treatments have long centered on avoiding red meat and carrying an epinephrine injector, with a newly approved drug offering an additional option while tick species like lone star and blacklegged ticks continue to circulate in Illinois.

via NBC Chicago|

#alpha-gal-syndrome #health #illinois

health1 month ago•2 min saved

Martha's Vineyard launches first long-term study to decode alpha-gal allergy from tick bites

Researchers at Martha's Vineyard Hospital have begun a first-of-its-kind longitudinal study following 300 island residents aged 15+ who were bitten by lone star ticks to understand how alpha-gal syndrome develops and its impact on daily life, with initial visits, periodic follow-ups, and blood tests; pregnant individuals may participate. A separate study will test 1,500 blood samples from Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, and Boston to gauge exposure, with results expected next year, as clinicians work to improve diagnosis, prevention, and patient care for this delayed, variable allergy to red meat and mammal products.

via WBUR|

#alpha-gal-syndrome #health #lone-star-tick

health1 month ago•46 min saved

Martha's Vineyard Hosts First-of-Its-Kind Alpha-Gal Allergy Study

Mass General Brigham’s Martha’s Vineyard Hospital will enroll up to 300 island residents who have been bitten by a lone-star tick in a two-year study to understand which people develop alpha-gal syndrome, what risk factors exist, and how the immune system changes over time, with hopes of informing diagnosis, prevention and potential treatments.

via The Boston Globe|

#allergy-research #alpha-gal-syndrome #health

health2 months ago•6 min saved

Rare Bourbon virus traced to Kansas returns in national spotlight

Bourbon virus, first identified in 2014 in Bourbon County, Kansas, is a rare tick-borne illness spread by lone star ticks. Cases have been limited but include a 2024 fatal Kansas case and renewed attention after New York’s first confirmed case; there is no commercial test, vaccine, or specific treatment, so prevention focuses on avoiding tick bites and doctors treat symptoms as needed.

via Wichita Eagle|

#bourbon-virus #cdc #health

health2 months ago•51 min saved

New York Detects Bourbon Virus Case, Spotlighting Tick-Borne Disease Risk

Researchers in New York confirmed the first Bourbon virus case in the state (Long Island), a rare tick-borne illness with no vaccine or specific treatment; experts warn more infections may go undiagnosed and call for expanded surveillance, better testing, and reinforced tick-prevention measures.

via Yahoo|

#bourbon-virus #health #lone-star-tick

health2 months ago•6 min saved

New York reports Bourbon virus case, prompting urgency over underdiagnosis

The first Bourbon virus case in New York (Long Island) has been confirmed in a severely ill patient. As a rare tick-borne illness with no vaccine or specific treatment, Bourbon virus may be underdiagnosed, leading researchers to call for expanded surveillance and heightened clinician awareness to improve detection and tracking.

via Fox News|

#bourbon-virus #health #lone-star-tick

health2 months ago•3 min saved

New York Sees First Bourbon Virus Case, Highlighting Hidden Tick Danger

A Long Island man’s 2021 tick bite led to the first identified Bourbon virus case in New York, diagnosed in 2026 after years of debilitating symptoms and an initial misdiagnosis as Lyme disease. Bourbon virus is rare and untreatable, with limited testing and only a few confirmed cases and deaths historically. There is no vaccine or specific cure; patients receive supportive care, and prevention hinges on avoiding tick bites and tick-proofing outdoor spaces. The case underscores that Bourbon virus may be underdiagnosed in regions with dense Lone Star tick populations.

via USA Today|

#bourbon-virus #cdc #health

science2 months ago•3 min saved

New York Confirms Bourbon Virus Case, Hinting at a Hidden Tick Threat

New research confirms Bourbon virus—an ultra-rare, tick-borne pathogen with no cure—exists in New York. In a study of 107 patients with suspected tickborne illness, investigators found one confirmed case in a Long Island man who was hospitalized but recovered; serology showed two people with neutralizing antibodies and a third with a rising antibody titer suggesting a recent infection, indicating the virus may be underdiagnosed in the region as lone-star ticks expand northward. The findings underscore the need for expanded viral surveillance, better clinical testing, and vector management, alongside standard tick-avoidance precautions since there is no specific treatment or vaccine.

via Gizmodo|

#bourbon-virus #lone-star-tick #new-york

health2 months ago•4 min saved

New York's First Bourbon Virus Case Highlights Tick-Borne Health Risk

A Suffolk County man is New York's first confirmed Bourbon virus case, infected in 2021 by lone star ticks. He developed fever, rash and severe headaches after an initial Lyme-era antibiotic treatment, and there is no vaccine, routine test, or specific treatment for Bourbon virus. He recovered after five days in hospital; the case underscores that Bourbon virus is rare but may be underdiagnosed in the Northeast as lone star ticks and deer expand their range.

via New York Post|

#bourbon-virus #health #lone-star-tick

health2 months ago•4 min saved

Bourbon virus reappears in New York, spotlighting diagnostic gaps amid tick season

A Stony Brook–led study confirms Bourbon virus cases in New York linked to lone star ticks, with antibodies detected in some patients. First identified in 2014 and associated with severe illness, the virus has no commercial test, vaccine, or targeted treatment, making diagnosis difficult and often leading to misattribution (e.g., Lyme disease). The findings come as tick bites and related ER visits rise nationwide, underscoring the need for better diagnostics and awareness of tick-borne threats.

via BBC Wildlife Magazine|

#bourbon-virus #diagnostic-challenges #health

health2 months ago•4 min saved

Wisconsin Faces Surge of Lone Star Ticks Linked to Red Meat Allergy

Wisconsin is seeing a northward rise in lone star ticks, the main carrier of alpha-gal syndrome, with 33 ticks identified so far in 2026—more than five times 2025—while overall tick activity is high and the climate may be expanding their range. Alpha-gal can trigger a red meat and dairy allergy, though not everyone develops symptoms; other ticks may also carry the allergy. A resident case illustrates life-changing impacts, and officials recommend prevention: protective clothing, repellents, permethrin-treated gear, and thorough tick checks.

via Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|

#alpha-gal-syndrome #health #lone-star-tick

health2 months ago•6 min saved

Tick bites can trigger a meat allergy: understanding alpha-gal syndrome

Alpha-gal syndrome is a tick-bite–triggered allergy to a sugar in most mammal tissues, meaning that after a tick bite, eating meat (and some other animal products) can trigger symptoms like hives, nausea or more severe reactions, with onset often 2–6 hours later. The Lone Star Tick is a primary carrier in the U.S., though other ticks can cause it. There’s no cure; testing is increasingly available. Prevention focuses on avoiding tick bites via protective clothing, repellents, yard maintenance, and routine tick checks, and Michigan health officials warn the risk may grow as tick populations expand.

via ClickOnDetroit | WDIV Local 4|

#alpha-gal-syndrome #health #lone-star-tick

health2 months ago•7 min saved

Island Clinicians Rally for Alpha-Gal Strategy at First National Conference

Vineyard epidemiologist Lea Hamner and clinician Aubrey Stimola Ryan attended the nation’s first Alpha-gal Syndrome conference in Raleigh to discuss Martha’s Vineyard’s rising tick-borne allergy, highlight an islandwide prevention-and-treatment effort (including a future tick clinic and deer-management), and note that while reporting, labeling, and national coordination will improve, a medical cure remains distant and prevention hinges on avoiding bites and using permethrin-treated clothing.

via The Vineyard Gazette|

#alpha-gal #deer-management #health