The bugs are getting worse

Key Points:

• Tick populations and tickborne diseases, including Lyme disease, babesiosis, and anaplasmosis, are rising sharply in the US, with cases doubling between 2005 and 2019 and ticks spreading into new regions due to climate change and landscape alterations.
• The abundance of acorns influences tick populations indirectly by boosting white-footed mouse numbers, which are key hosts for ticks carrying Lyme disease bacteria, leading to fluctuating but generally increasing tick-related health risks.
• Other arthropods like lone star ticks are expanding their range and causing conditions such as alpha-gal syndrome, a severe allergy to red meat triggered by tick saliva, affecting hundreds of thousands in the US.
• Mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile virus and dengue fever are also on the rise, with expanding mosquito habitats driven by climate change and weather patterns, increasing the risk of outbreaks across the country.
• Preventive measures including EPA-approved repellents, environmental management, and emerging medical interventions like vaccines and novel treatments are crucial, but personal protection remains the most effective defense against these growing arthropod-borne threats.