What to Do If You Find a Tick on Your Body, According to an Expert

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1. 1h ago

   Tick bites surging: Expert steps to remove ticks and avoid illness

   Tick bites are rising across the U.S., with pets often the initial carriers. Experts emphasize calm removal and monitoring for symptoms. Rare tick-borne illnesses like Rickettsia lanei are emerging, while Lyme disease and alpha-gal syndrome remain key concerns. ER visits are up, especially in the Midwest and Connecticut.

   What's confirmed:

   • Remove a tick using fine-tipped tweezers, grasping it as close to the skin as possible and pulling straight out with steady pressure.
   • Do not use folk remedies like burning the tick or applying nail polish, as these can increase infection risk.
   • Clean the bite area with rubbing alcohol, soap, or iodine after removal, then monitor for symptoms like rash, fever, or fatigue for up to 30 days.
   • Most tick bites start with pets bringing ticks indoors, making households a common transmission point.
   • ER visits for tick bites are rising sharply in the Midwest, with Missouri and Illinois facing particularly severe seasons.
   • Doctors in Connecticut report an unusually high rate of disease-carrying ticks, raising Lyme disease concerns.
   • Alpha-gal syndrome, a meat allergy triggered by tick bites, is increasingly reported by health officials.
   • The bacterium Rickettsia lanei, a rare tick-borne illness, has infected at least four people in the U.S., including three in California.

   Still unconfirmed:

   • A 'giant' tick was removed from a visitor at Lake of the Ozarks, described as hissing like a snake (no verified size or species confirmed).
   confidence 98%