Tick season in Pennsylvania and N.J. comes with new concern over rare but dangerous tick-borne illness

The summer tick season in Pennsylvania and New Jersey is off to a big start with a growing number of ticks spreading new and potentially dangerous illnesses.

Pennsylvania and New Jersey are hot spots for ticks, and it's no longer just Lyme disease that they're spreading.

Tick season began earlier than normal because of warmer temperatures, and the number of new ticks spreading illnesses has also increased.

"We do have different tick species starting to emerge in the state of Pennsylvania," Nicole Chinnici, who runs the Pennsylvania Tick Research Lab at East Stroudsburg University, said.

Chinnici says the newest concern is a rare but dangerous tick-borne virus called Powassan, which has been identified in five states, including Pennsylvania.

"It can be transmitted from the tick to the person within 15 minutes," Chinnici said. "So, it is a fast transmission."

The Powassan virus can attack the central nervous system and lead to memory loss, difficulty speaking and seizures, but that's rare. Many people who are infected don't have symptoms.

"It's definitely concerning to see new ticks in new areas and then diseases that follow," epidemiologist Rebecca Osborn said.

Osborn says Lyme disease is still the most common tickborne disease, but there are about 20 different illnesses, including one that can cause meat allergies.

"As we see new tick species coming from the eastern portion of eastern states and the South, we're going to start to see some of those pathogens across the state of Pennsylvania as well," Chinnici said.

Across the country, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the highest rate of emergency room visits from tick bites since 2017.

Doctors advise using insect repellent to prevent tick bites, wearing long sleeves and pants outdoors and putting clothes in the dryer to kill ticks when you come inside. They also say to check your skin closely, and if you find a tick, pull it straight out in one piece with a fine-tipped tweezer.

Doctors say it's best to save a tick after it's removed, so it can be tested to see if you're at risk for developing an illness.

The Pennsylvania Tick Research Lab offers free testing to state residents.