Nice overview I thought of the dangers from ticks.
I was encouraged that most Lyme cases are reported in 14 states. I once pulled 60 ticks out of my socks during a survey of a grassland in central california. The weird thing was that I surveyed many grasslands - it was the only one I found in ticks in!
Only blacklegged ticks carry Lyme and they need to be attached for 36-48 hours to transmit it.
I was encouraged that most Lyme cases are reported in 14 states. I once pulled 60 ticks out of my socks during a survey of a grassland in central california. The weird thing was that I surveyed many grasslands - it was the only one I found in ticks in!
Specifically, Lyme disease bacteria are only transmitted in the US by blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks. Ticks are not born carrying Lyme disease pathogens and will only acquire the infection after feeding on an infected animal - typically a mouse. For this reason, larval deer ticks will not transmit these pathogens.
Blacklegged ticks are only located in specific areas of the country. The CDC report that most Lyme disease infections are found in these endemic locations:
In 2013, 95% of confirmed Lyme disease cases in the US were reported in just 14 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin.
- North-central states, mainly Wisconsin and Minnesota
- Northeast and mid-Atlantic areas, from northeastern Virginia to Maine
- The West Coast, particularly northern California.
Only blacklegged ticks carry Lyme and they need to be attached for 36-48 hours to transmit it.
Being bitten by a blacklegged tick in one of these states still does not guarantee the transmission of Lyme disease. A tick carrying the Lyme disease pathogens needs to be attached for at least 36-48 hours before the bacteria are transmitted. Removing a tick promptly after being bitten greatly reduces the risk of acquiring the disease.