The ticks are winning - vox.com

What the report says

Vox reports that ticks are spreading across the United States, contributing to rising concern over illnesses such as Lyme disease and alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy to red meat associated with lone star tick bites. The article, published July 24, 2026, attributes the trend to factors including climate change, shifts in land use and larger deer populations, which have helped ticks expand into new areas and remain active for longer periods during warmer winters.

The report says tick exposure is no longer limited to remote wilderness; wooded parks, yards and hiking areas can all pose risks. Vox cites emergency room visits for tick bites as being at their highest level since 2017, and notes that fear of ticks is changing how some people dress, recreate and decide whether to spend time outdoors. The article also highlights a 2024 case in northern New Jersey in which Brian Weitzel, a pilot and father of three, died after what was described as a likely alpha-gal-related reaction.

A central point of the Vox piece is that public health responses have not kept pace with the burden of tick-borne disease. Climate reporter Jonathan Mingle, discussing his reporting on Vox’s Today, Explained, said tick-related illnesses account for a large share of U.S. vector-borne disease, while local vector-control programs still overwhelmingly focus on mosquitoes rather than ticks.

Vox says experts see broader interventions beyond personal precautions such as repellents and tick checks. Potential approaches discussed include targeting deer and rodent hosts, researching vaccines that could kill ticks after they bite host animals, and funding tick control with the same sustained public-health attention long applied to mosquitoes.