Across most of the Northeast, getting bitten by a blacklegged tick- also called a deer tick - is a risk during spring, summer, and fall.
Dartmouth CollegeJan 17 2025 A new Dartmouth study, published in Parasites and Vectors, finds that 50% of adult blacklegged ticks carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease while 20% to 25% of the younger blacklegged ticks carry the bacteria.
Lyme disease was first discovered in Lyme, Conn, in 1975. Its symptoms can vary depending on the stage and severity of the disease but can include a rash, fever, chills, fatigue, muscle or joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes. If left untreated, prolonged and more severe symptoms may develop. In general, ticks must be attached to a person for at least 24 hours to transmit the Lyme disease bacteria. So even though adult blacklegged ticks are more likely to carry the bacteria than younger ticks, because they are bigger, about the size of a sesame seed, there is particular concern about the younger ticks or nymphs, which are only about the size of a poppy seed, making them difficult to spot.
Related StoriesThe researchers analyzed the abundance of blacklegged ticks and the presence of Lyme disease bacteria and other pathogens so that they could determine how blacklegged ticks and the pathogens they carry are changing in time and space.
Lyme Disease Blood Pathogen Research Tick-Borne Diseases
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