Tick-related emergency room visits spike across Northeast
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Emergency room visits due to tick bites are spiking across the nation -- but especially in the Tri-State area.
Nationwide, ER visits in May were at their highest levels since 2019, CDC data shows. And and so far this July, the rates are at their highest level since 2017.
The Northeast region is seeing the highest rates of ER visits compared to the rest of the country and data shows that kids under the age of 10 and those over the age of 70 have had the highest rates of ER visits.
The risk of being bitten by a tick for this most recent week is listed as very high (9 out of 10), according to the Fordham Tick Index - an estimate that takes into account southern New York, Connecticut, and northern New Jersey.
Ticks can spread bacteria, viruses, and parasites that cause human disease, the CDC says.
Dr. Waleed Javaid, the chief hospital epidemiologist and the director of infection prevention and control at the Mount Sinai Health system, said that using an insect repellant is one way to prevent tick bites.
Javaid said it's also important to remove a tick as soon as possible and be aware of symptoms.
"Having somebody check you after you visited a wooded area is always helpful if you have a partner, or make sure you closely evaluate all parts of your body if you if you are on your own," Javaid said. "Sometimes, when we when we have tick bites, we don't actually feel them, because they numb the area, they can cling on, so you will see it easily on somebody else, and they won't even notice sometimes."
The most common symptoms of tick-related illnesses include:
- Fever/chills
- Aches and pains
- Rash
(ABC News contributed to this report.)
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