An expert at SUNY Upstate is finding human behavior and climate change are contributing to changes in Central New York’s tick population. Saravanan Thangamani is a professor of immunology and also runs the Upstate Tick Testing Laboratory. He says while Deer ticks are typically most prevalent, he is seeing more Dog ticks and Lone Star ticks than in years past.
“Lone Star and the Dog ticks are rather bigger and the deer ticks are smaller. They're all completely different," Thangamani said. "They all three independent ticks, they look different. They cause different diseases, they have different biting behavior. They like to attach in different spots as well in the human body.”
He says the bite of a Lone Star ticks can cause a meat allergy, mainly to beef or pork, and the Dog tick can transmit rickets in dogs and humans. But the primary risk in this region remains with Deer ticks and Lyme disease. Thangamani says human behavior is the primary reason for the geographic expansion of ticks, especially when traveling with pets.
“They take their pets with them and then they camp. And then when they come home, they do the tick check. Either they do it or they don't do it," Thangamani said. "So if they don't do it, they bring a tick from, let's say, Catskills to Syracuse and they, the pet, can actually be a transporter.”
Thangamani says it’s best to check for ticks on site and remove them there before heading home. He says climate change is also a factor, because warmer temperatures expand the range of ticks. Thangamani’s lab tests ticks for disease for a nominal fee.
