Lone Star Tick Reaches Wisconsin, Bringing 110,000 Suspected Alpha-gal Cases Into Focus
Updated
Updated · madison365.com · Jul 15
Lone Star Tick Reaches Wisconsin, Bringing 110,000 Suspected Alpha-gal Cases Into Focus
3 articles · Updated · madison365.com · Jul 15
Summary
Northern and southern Wisconsin have recorded lone star ticks, an aggressive species whose bite is linked to alpha-gal syndrome, a red-meat allergy.
More than 110,000 suspected alpha-gal cases were identified by the CDC from 2010 to 2022, and a University of Wisconsin entomologist said warming temperatures are helping the tick return to former ranges.
Birds likely carry the ticks north in their larval stage, and the species can survive Wisconsin summers even though winter cold still prevents a permanent statewide population.
Fewer extreme-cold days could let the tick establish itself first in southern Wisconsin, echoing expansion already seen in New York, Texas and much of the Southeast.