Tick Known to Cause Meat Allergy Spreading Across U.S.

A tick known to cause meat and dairy allergies is spreading into the northern United States, health officials warn.

A tick known to cause meat and dairy allergies is spreading into the northern United States, health officials warn.

Previously found in the south, and almost completely eliminated in the Great Lakes and Northeast area, the lone star tick is making an unwelcome comeback. It is now found in over two dozen states. Summer is peak season for tick activity, and officials are already reporting a spike in bites.

Ilia Rochlin, Ph.D., an entomologist at Rutgers University’s Center for Vector Biology and Stony Brook University Department of Microbiology and Immunology, says changed land management practices allowed tick populations to flourish.