Could Tick-Borne Illnesses Be Getting Deadlier?

Could Tick-Borne Illnesses Be Getting Deadlier?

Vestal, NY (WBNG Binghamton) In the past five years, the chances of getting Lyme disease in the Southern Tier from a tick has skyrocketed, according to Binghamton University biologist Julian Shepherd. “In the range of 30 to 40 percent of them are infected,” Shepherd said. “That’s one in a third chance of being bitten by an infected tick.” Shepherd, who has studied ticks for 45 years, said the beleaguered bug is persistent in its attacks. “They’re very good at hanging on, and they hang on with little claws that curve back on their legs,” he said. And with ticks carrying multiple viruses at once, testing is more difficult than ever. Read more.