New Tick Species Raising Red Flags in Wisconsin this Summer

If you’re spending more time outside this summer, bug experts are urging you to take extra precautions—especially when it comes to ticks. There is a new tick species known as the Lone Star tick, and it is being found in Wisconsin for the first time. This new concern is raising red flags due to the bizarre red meat allergy it can trigger with a single bite.

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We’re seeing more ticks, more tick-borne disease, and new species. That means it’s more important than ever to protect yourself.

PJ Liesch, UW Insect Diagnostic Lab

Lyme Disease Still Leads the List

PJ Liesch is an entomologist with the UW Insect Diagnostic Lab. He says despite new threats, Lyme disease remains the number one tick-borne illness in Wisconsin—and the deer tick, also known as the black-legged tick, is the primary culprit.

“Ticks aren’t just found in the deep woods anymore,” Liesch explains. “We’re seeing them in city parks, suburban lawns, and people’s backyards. That’s a concern.”

Liesch says a deer tick needs to be attached for about 36 hours before it can transmit Lyme disease. It’s also why regular tick checks can be one of the most effective forms of prevention.

“A tick like a deer tick needs to feed for quite a while — 36 hours, so about a day and a half — before transmission can occur,” Liesch says.
“One of the single best things you can do as a precaution are regular tick checks.”

A New Tick Brings a Strange Effect

But a new tick is catching the attention of entomologists and doctors. It’s the Lone Star tick, a species that’s slowly made its way north from southeastern parts of the United States.

This tick doesn’t carry Lyme disease. But it’s linked to a condition known as Alpha-gal syndrome. This is a reaction that can cause people to develop a severe allergy to red meat,

Doctors at Mayo Clinic say they’re beginning to see more cases of Alpha-gal in patients who have no history of food allergies, but suddenly start reacting after a tick bite.

Symptoms can include:

• Hives or itching
  
• Stomach pain
  
• Shortness of breath
  
• In some cases, life-threatening anaphylaxis
  

And like deer ticks, Lone Star ticks are also showing up in more populated neighborhoods.

“Thirty years ago, you think a hiker or hunter in the woods,” Liesch says.
“Now we’re finding ticks in urban areas, and that’s a concern.”

How to Protect Yourself

Experts say the best way to prevent a tick-borne illness is to reduce your chances of being bitten. Officials with the CDC recommend the following:

• Wear light-colored, long-sleeved clothing and tuck in your pant legs
  
• Use EPA-approved tick repellents
  
• Avoid tall grasses and brush
  
• Shower within two hours of being outdoors
  
• Do full-body tick checks — especially behind the knees, around the waist, under arms, and along the hairline
  
• If you do find a tick on your skin, remove it carefully with fine-tipped tweezers. Liesch also suggests saving the tick in a sealed bag and placing it in your freezer in case symptoms develop and identification is needed.

The Bottom Line

Lone Star ticks may be new to Wisconsin, and the Alpha-gal syndrome sounds scary, but Lyme disease is still far more common, and the number of cases continues to rise.

With ticks now found in places many Wisconsinites never expected, including parks and front yards, awareness and prevention are key.

“We’re seeing more ticks, more tick-borne disease, and new species,” Liesch says. “That means it’s more important than ever to protect yourself.”