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Ohio’s tick threat doesn’t end with summer - and a new arrival can trigger a deadly allergy
Cleveland.com • • health
Key Points:
- Ohio’s peak season for blacklegged ticks, which transmit Lyme disease, is ending, but the lone star tick, which can cause alpha-gal syndrome, remains active into autumn and is expanding its presence in the state.
- Alpha-gal syndrome, triggered by a sugar molecule in lone star tick saliva, can cause severe allergic reactions to red meat and other mammal-derived products, with cases already detected in Northeast Ohio.
- The lone star tick is moving northward, likely due to climate change, and while currently concentrated in southern Ohio, it is found statewide, raising concerns about increased tick-bite risks in the fall.
- Ohio has seen a dramatic rise in Lyme disease cases, with established blacklegged tick populations now present in most counties and reported cases tripling in recent years, paralleling trends long seen in the Northeast and upper Midwest.
- Factors such as reforestation, deer population recovery, and suburban development have created ideal habitats for ticks and their hosts in Ohio, contributing to the spread of tick-borne diseases in the region.
