The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) reported on June 26 an increase in blacklegged “deer” tick submissions to its testing laboratory, with a higher-than-average infection rate of Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease.
According to Dr. Goudarz Molaei, who directs the CAES Tick Testing Program, “During the past few weeks, we have received an average of 30 tick submissions per day for testing, and greater than 40% have tested positive for Lyme disease spirochetes. In addition, these ticks have tested positive for the pathogens responsible for babesiosis, anaplasmosis, and Borrelia miyamotoi disease. We are at the beginning of the tick activity season for adult blacklegged ticks, which often have higher infection rates because they have had two chances to acquire disease agents during their juvenile stages (larva and nymph). In addition to pervasive populations of blacklegged and American dog ticks, Connecticut has established populations of three invasive species: the lone star tick, Gulf Coast tick, and longhorned tick, primarily in the coastal areas of Fairfield and New Haven counties. These ticks are capable of transmitting their own suite of pathogens responsible for ehrlichiosis, rickettsiosis, and Heartland virus, among others. The lone star tick can also induce Alpha-gal syndrome (a red meat allergy) that can lead to severe allergic reactions and even anaphylactic shock. The high populations of the longhorned tick in coastal areas of the two densely populated counties in the state are particularly concerning because this species reproduces without needing male ticks for egg fertilization, allowing it to spread rapidly.”
Dr. Jason White, Director of CAES said: “Using tick repellents when hiking or camping and conducting tick checks remain the best ways to reduce the risk of contracting tick-borne diseases. Connecticut residents are also encouraged to submit ticks they have removed from their bodies to our laboratory for species identification and testing. This allows them to make informed decisions concerning diagnosis and treatment in consultation with their healthcare providers.”
The CAES is investigating new methods to manage tick populations while researching basic biology and ecology of ticks as well as barriers to prevention and prevalence studies on Alpha-gal syndrome among Connecticut residents.
Lyme disease is considered by federal health authorities as the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in the United States; it affects about 475,000 people annually nationwide according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates. The Connecticut Department of Public Health reported 2,170 cases within Connecticut in 2024; several hundred cases each were diagnosed with babesiosis or human granulocytic anaplasmosis but actual numbers may be nearly ten times higher.
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station receives support from its Research Foundation—a nonprofit organization—and maintains its main campus in New Haven according to its official website. The agency was also recognized as the first agricultural experiment station established in the United States; it is governed by an eight-member Board of Control under statutory authority while focusing on research and education addressing agricultural, public health, and environmental challenges according to its official website.
More information about personal protection measures against ticks or submitting specimens can be found through links provided by the organization’s press release.
