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ScienceHealthMan Caught Three Whole Diseases From a Single Tick Bite
Doctors in Oregon have described what might be one of the unluckiest encounters between man and tick ever documented. They report treating a 70-year-old man who became sick with three entirely different infections after a single tick bite. According to a recent case study, published last month in BMJ Case Reports, the man visited an … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthTicks Are at the Beach Now, Too
Disease-carrying ticks are regularly finding their way onto beachfront property, new research suggests. The study found similar levels of tick infestation in the woodlands and near beaches around Northern California, indicating that they can live in more varied environments than assumed—even without the presence of obvious natural hosts. What’s worse, these ticks often carried bacteria … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthGet Ready for Another Summer of Out-of-Control Ticks
The U.S. tick problem is not getting any better. And, unfortunately, we’re doing a dreadful job at tracking their movements, let alone keeping them in check, according to a new study out Wednesday. The eight-legged tick is America’s most dangerous pest bug, based on the amount of human illness it causes every year. An estimated … Continued
By Ed Cara -
EartherClimate Change Is Already Killing Americans and Costing Billions in Medical Bills, Report Finds
Climate change will make our lives worse in the years to come, but a new report out this week highlights the stark costs people are already paying in the U.S. In 2012 alone, it found 10 major climate-related events likely led to nearly 1,000 extra deaths, almost 21,000 hospitalizations, and an added $10 billion in … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthPentagon Ordered to Tell Congress If It Weaponized Ticks And Released Them Into the Public
Some members of the United States House are concerned the Pentagon may have unleashed disease-infected ticks that caused the spread of Lyme disease. Roll Call reports that on July 11, the House stealthily decided via voice vote to support an amendment to the 2020 defense authorization bill that would require the Department of Justice look … Continued
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ScienceHealthNew Theory Suggests Charles Darwin Suffered from Lyme Disease
During his lifetime, Charles Darwin complained of so many different ailments that it’s no small miracle the pioneering evolutionary biologist got any work done. Historians have struggled to understand the exact nature of his illness or illnesses, but new research suggests one potentially obvious malady has been overlooked: Lyme disease. That Charles Darwin, born in … Continued
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ScienceHealth
Lyme Disease Has Spread to Every Part of the U.S.
As worrying as new invasive species of parasitic ticks might be, a recent report released by the lab testing company Quest Diagnostics should remind us of the more pressing dangers these eight-legged bugs can cause. It suggests that not only have cases of the tick-borne Lyme disease substantially risen in the past few years, they’re … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealth
Oh Great, Americans Have a New Tick to Worry About
Ticks and insects in general are steadily spreading across the United States and causing more disease, aided by an ever-cozier climate. If that’s not bad enough, though, it’s almost certain that an invasive species of tick, newly discovered last year, has firmly established America as its home. And this tick is potentially capable of causing … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealth
Bug-Sprayed Clothing Really Does Keep Ticks Away
A new CDC-led study published today in the Journal of Medical Entomology suggests it might be a great time to invest in a new fashion trend: bug spray-laced clothing. The study found that clothing treated with permethrin was able to stop several species of disease-causing ticks in their tracks, either paralyzing them or making them … Continued
By Ed Cara
