As Bay Staters spend time outside to enjoy the final weeks of summer, state health officials are warning that ticks and tick-borne illnesses are active across Massachusetts.
New data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health shows a steady increase in emergency department visits related to tick exposure through the spring into early June.
Health officials say the data shows people are encountering ticks statewide. About 0.7 percent of emergency department visits in any given week involved tick exposure and about 0.2 percent involved a tick-borne disease diagnosis, according to the DPH data.
The report also notes that tick activity typically increases during the spring and early summer before slowing later in the season, although weather can affect exactly when activity peaks.
The Department of Public Health says residents are being diagnosed with tick-borne illnesses in every region of Massachusetts. Although some counties reported higher rates than others, officials emphasized that "people are exposed to ticks throughout all of Massachusetts" and should take precautions regardless of where they live.
Through mid-July, Dukes and Nantucket counties had the highest rate of tick-borne disease-related emergency department visits, followed by Berkshire and Barnstable counties, according to the data.
Meanwhile, Plymouth County recorded the greatest number of emergency department visits related to tick-borne diseases.
Children ages five to 14 had the highest rate of tick-borne disease diagnoses among all age groups, according to the state report. Older adults also experienced elevated rates, with Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and babesiosis accounting for many of those diagnoses.
The surveillance report tracks emergency department visits involving Lyme disease, babesiosis, anaplasmosis and other tick-borne illnesses.
MA Expands Tracking Of Alpha-Gal Syndrome
Earlier this year, Massachusetts announced it would expand its surveillance of tick-related illnesses by making alpha-gal syndrome a reportable condition.
Starting April 1, healthcare providers were required to report diagnosed cases of alpha-gal syndrome to the Department of Public Health, making Massachusetts one of a small but growing number of states tracking the tick-borne allergy.
Unlike Lyme disease, alpha-gal syndrome isn't caused by a bacterial infection. Instead, it develops after a bite from a lone star tick, which can trigger an immune response to a sugar molecule known as alpha-gal.
People with the condition may experience hives, severe stomach pain, vomiting or even life-threatening anaphylaxis several hours after eating beef, pork, lamb or other mammal-derived products.
Patch reported that researchers have documented hundreds of positive alpha-gal tests among Martha's Vineyard residents, while lone star ticks have become established on Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket and are continuing to spread into other parts of Massachusetts.
State health officials said earlier this year that requiring providers to report alpha-gal syndrome will help health officials better understand where the condition is occurring and whether it is becoming more common across Massachusetts.
"Just the bite of the tick can cause alpha-gal syndrome, which is [an] allergy to red meat," Dr. Robbie Goldstein, Massachusetts' public health commissioner, told GBH back in April. "That means there's no treatment. There's no way for us to give an antibiotic or to give a medication. Instead, the best way to prevent it is to prevent the tick bite in the first place."
The best way to prevent tick-borne illnesses is to avoid getting bitten in the first place.
Health officials also recommend wearing EPA-approved insect repellent, staying on cleared trails, performing tick checks after spending time outdoors and removing attached ticks as soon as possible to reduce the risk of tick-borne illness.
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