Connecticut Sees Record Tick Testing, Rising Insect-Borne Illness Risk

• Tick testing submissions to Connecticut’s state lab reached a record high this year, driven by both more tick bites and expanded testing capacity

• A growing share of tested ticks are coming back positive for Lyme disease and babesiosis, pushing infection risk above historic averages

• Fifteen Connecticut communities have recorded mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile virus this year, and health officials urged residents to take precautions

Researchers found rising tick and mosquito activity in Connecticut this summer, prompting warnings for residents to take precautions against the diseases the insects carry.

Tick testing in Connecticut reached a record high this year, according to the Hartford Courant. Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station experts said officials received more than 5,000 ticks for testing, higher than any previous year and 40% above the average over the last decade.

The increase reflects both a growing number of tick bites among state residents and an expanded capacity to test for them, according to the Courant. CAES can now test up to 96 insects per hour for tick-borne illnesses, allowing faster turnaround for patients concerned about Lyme disease, babesiosis, Powassan virus and other tick-borne illnesses

The faster turnaround, down from weeks to hours, allows for quicker medical response when a tick tests positive for one or more illnesses.

The results also point to a growing risk: 38% of ticks tested in Connecticut were positive for Lyme disease and 15% tested positive for babesiosis, with many ticks testing positive for multiple illnesses at once. That puts the odds of a tick bite causing illness higher than in past years, as the historic average Lyme disease infection rate is 32%.

The CAES is also testing mosquitoes throughout the state for mosquito-borne illnesses, and an increasing number of communities are seeing the presence of West Nile virus.

As of August 6, the CAES has tracked 15 communities with West Nile presence. While only 31 of 91,700 mosquitoes tested positive for West Nile and Jamestown Canyon viruses, the rate of discovered infections is growing.

So far this year, Branford, Bridgeport, Danbury, East Haven, Greenwich, Milford, New Haven, North Branford, North Haven, Norwalk, South Windsor, Stamford, Stratford, West Haven and Westport have seen mosquitoes test positive.

Health officials recommend residents protect themselves from insect-borne illnesses by avoiding exposure, wearing protective clothing such as long sleeves, and using insect repellent. For ticks, officials advise checking clothing and skin after spending time outdoors, especially in wooded or overgrown areas. For mosquitoes, officials recommend limiting time outdoors between dusk and dawn and making sure door and window screens are in good condition.

By Joe O’Leary