Ticks are spreading disease to different US regions as experts sound the alarm

Ticks are spreading outside their comfort zone – and into ours, according to experts.As cooler regions experience milder winters, those areas are becoming more hospitable to many tick species, Ben Hottel, an Atlantic-based entomologist with Orkin, the pest control company, told Fox News Digital.This is because ticks prefer warmer climates.While the insects previously would go dormant in the cold — leaving them unable to travel very far — they’re now able to stay active longer, clinging to hosts that carry them outside their typical regions.In recent years, experts at Binghamton University Tick-borne Disease Center in New York have reported that tick-borne illnesses – typically confined to specific regions – are beginning to show up in other parts of the country.“Deer ticks are active any time it’s over 39 degrees, so we have a lot longer active periods for ticks now, unfortunately,” Yetrib Hathout, professor of pharmaceutical sciences and director of the tick-born disease center, told Binghamton University previously.The number of concerning tick species has risen from one to five in the last 15 years, according to experts at Ohio State University.Given the spread of ticks, Ohio State University’s Buckeye Tick Test Lab is now identifying “the most dangerous ticks that spread diseases.”Hottel of Orkin said it’s important for people to stay vigilant as they’re frequently outdoors at this time of year. He said people need to exercise caution regarding certain species, the bites they can deliver and the disease they can cause.The blacklegged tick (or deer tick) is best known for transmitting Lyme disease, especially in the Northeast, Midwest, and Appalachian regions.While many people are aware of Lyme disease carried by the deer tick, fewer are aware of other dangerous diseases such as alpha-gal syndrome, which is spread by the lone star tick; it can trigger an allergy to red meat.The American dog tick, found mostly east of the Rockies,...