Tick Season: High Alert for Disease-Carrying Pests

0:00Tick season hit the ground running this year, folks, with emergency room visits for bites spiking to the highest levels for this time since 20. 17 across most of the country. The CDC just dropped an early warning, saying these tiny arachnids are out and forced nationwide, except maybe down south central. Warmer weather and mild winters are pumping up tick numbers, along with more deer and mice for them to snack on. Climate shifts play a big role too, letting populations spread wider and faster. People are sounding the alarm because diseases like Lyme, hitting about 476,000 people yearly, plus Rocky Mountain, spotted. Fever and even red meat allergies can come from these bites. In Connecticut, folks are already sending in 30 ticks a day for tests, and 40% carry the Lyme bacteria. Looking ahead, those hard-to-spot nymph ticks will peak in May as more people hit the outdoors, ramping up infection risks. Nights like Connecticut see researchers predicting even more trouble with mice booming lately.

1:01Stay safe out there, slap on EPA-approved repellent, treat your clothes with permethrin, check your body and pets head to toe daily, and yank off any. Hitchhiker is close to the skin. Simple moves like that keep the worst at bay as summer rolls in. This has been Tampa Bay News Today, powered by AI.