More lone star ticks, which cause red meat allergy, show up in Wisconsin - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

What the report says

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Wisconsin is seeing a notable rise in submitted lone star ticks, the species most associated in the United States with alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy that can make people react to red meat and sometimes dairy. According to the report, Wisconsin’s tick identification service confirmed six lone star tick submissions in 2025, while 33 have already been identified this year, with part of tick season still remaining.

Rebecca Osborn, a vector-borne disease epidemiologist with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, told the Journal Sentinel that increased public use of the identification service may account for some of the jump. Still, she said the scale of the increase suggests the ticks are becoming more relevant in Wisconsin. The newspaper reported that lone star ticks have historically been concentrated farther south, but their range has moved northward as the climate warms. State officials do not yet believe the species has established a stable Wisconsin population, in part because confirmed ticks have been found across the state rather than clustered with young ticks in one area.

The report also notes that Wisconsin doctors are not required to report alpha-gal syndrome cases, but diagnoses are occurring. One Wisconsin man described being diagnosed after a tick bite and later changing his diet, checking ingredients for animal-derived products and carrying an EpiPen.

The Journal Sentinel said state health officials are considering expanding tick-drag surveillance and are also watching evidence that other ticks, including deer ticks, may rarely be linked to alpha-gal. Officials continue to recommend standard tick precautions, including protective clothing, repellents, permethrin-treated clothing and full-body checks after time outdoors.