Doctors are seeing an unusually high rate of disease-carrying ticks in CT. ‘It is quite a jump’

Hartford Courant – Monday, June 15, 2026
By Stephen Underwood

As Connecticut residents spend more time outdoors this summer, officials said this year is shaping up to be historically bad for ticks, as climate change and human development have created the perfect habitat.

Doctors are urging precaution when going outside, as officials see more tick-borne illnesses as the population climbs.

The tick testing program at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station is seeing a record-high number of tick submissions to its laboratory, with a higher-than-average infection rate of Lyme disease in black legged or deer ticks, the primary vector of the bacteria.

“This is the highest number of submissions we have seen in 10 years,” said Dr. Goudarz Molaei, director of the state’s tick testing program.” As of June 11, we have received over 3,500 tick submissions to our laboratory. If I want to put this in perspective, we thought 2025 was the highest, but we have surpassed that. Right now, the number we have received is substantially higher than last year and it has surpassed 2017, which was the highest at the time.”

Molaei said greater than 40% of the ticks tested have been positive for Lyme disease spirochetes. In addition, these ticks have tested positive for the pathogens responsible for babesiosis and anaplasmosis. Normally, he said the laboratory sees around a 32% infection rate, so this year is unusually high.

“I’m not surprised, but I am alarmed,” Molaei said. “It is quite a jump from previous years. We also have around a 12% to 14% positive infection rate for babesiosis and 7% to 8% positive infection rate for anaplasmosis. We are also seeing ticks carrying multiple tick-borne illnesses. We have had some ticks test positive for Lyme and for another tick-borne illness.”

Molaei said that the laboratory is seeing around 150 tick submissions daily, which is a new record for the state’s tick testing program. He said that the pace has not slowed since April, and he expects it to continue at a high rate through the summer months.

In late March and early April, the station received over 600 ticks, and by May 19, it had received about a total of 2,300, he said.

Officials said a warming climate and milder winters allow ticks to remain active for longer periods of the year and expand their geographic ranges into areas that used to be too cold to sustain them.

While this winter was colder and snowier than previous years, snowfall on the ground acted much like a blanket for ticks, providing shelter and warmth against the bitter cold temperatures. The fall was considered a bumper crop or mast year with more acorn production, meaning more food for rodents and deer. This phenomenon, often called a “mast year,” provides more food than local wildlife can consume, resulting in higher winter survival rates and larger populations of mice, squirrels, and chipmunks.

“This often results in a higher tick population as it provides more hosts for ticks to feed on,” Molaei said. “So it’s not surprising that this year we are seeing more ticks. The climate and the bumper crop created ideal conditions for ticks this year.”

Human development is also playing a role as large, continuous forests break into smaller patches, which reduces the number of predators that naturally keep rodent and deer populations in check. Because deer and rodent populations thrive in smaller forest areas, ticks also thrive due to more host availability, according to Molaei.

June is also peak season for nymphal blacklegged deer ticks, making them more difficult to spot, Molaei said.

“June is one of the worst months for ticks,” Molaei said. “Because right now many of them are in the nymphal stage and are particularly hard to spot on the body. This month and early July we will see nymphal ticks, and even though infection rate is lower in nymphal ticks, they are dangerous because they are only the size of a poppy seed. So they can attach longer onto the body unnoticed unlike adult ticks.”

Dr. Ulysses Wu, chief virologist with Hartford HealthCare, said that ticks are a major health threat to Connecticut residents and that anyone venturing into wooded areas should take precautions.

“Because ticks were able to survive the winter with some of the heavy snow we had and with the increased infection rate we’re seeing, we are urging people to take precautions against ticks,” Wu said. “We are seeing some of the diseases carried by ticks. Everyone is concerned about Lyme disease, but there are numerous other tick-borne illnesses that can be very serious and potentially fatal.”

Wu said that if you see a tick on you, don’t panic. Ticks need at least 48 hours to transmit Lyme disease.

“After you come in from being outside, especially in a wooded area or some place with high grass, it’s always a good idea to do a thorough tick check,” Wu said. “If you find a tick on you and it’s been less than 36 to 48 hours, you can safely remove it. But if you see a tick on you fully engorged, it’s a good idea to go see a medical provider. We recommend going to an urgent care facility where you can be evaluated and have the tick safely removed.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the best way to avoid ticks includes:

• Avoiding exposure in wooded, overgrown areas.
• Staying on marked trails when hiking.
• Staying out of tall grass and uncleared areas of the forest floor.
• Wearing protective clothing treated with tick pesticides and treating your skin with insect repellent.
• Wearing long sleeves and long pants tucked into socks and shoes.
• Avoiding going barefoot or wearing open-toe sandals or shoes.
• Checking your clothing for ticks. Ticks may be carried into the house on clothing. Any ticks that are found should be removed. Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing after you come indoors. If the clothes are damp, additional time may be needed. If the clothes require washing first, hot water is recommended. Cold and medium temperature water will not kill ticks.
• Examining gear and pets. Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine pets, coats, and daypacks.
• Showering soon after being outdoors. Showering within two hours of coming indoors has been shown to reduce your risk of getting Lyme disease and may be effective in reducing the risk of other tick-borne diseases. Showering may help wash off unattached ticks, and it is a good opportunity to do a tick check.
• Checking your body for ticks after being outdoors. Conduct a full body check upon return from potentially tick-infested areas, including your own backyard. Use a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body. Check these parts of your body and your child’s body for ticks.

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