Scientists are reporting the first human case of Rickettsia parkeri bacteria in Connecticut and the greater Northeast region.
New species of ticks are moving to the Northeastern U.S.—and bringing along unfriendly visitors with them. In a recent study, scientists have reported the first human case of a particular tickborne bacteria in Connecticut and the greater Northeast region. The bacteria are being spread by ticks that were previously confined to the Gulf Coast but have since begun to emerge north.
“At the time, we raised awareness, but some of the agencies, they did not even believe that there would be human cases,” Molaei, director of the Tick Testing Program for Lyme and Allied Diseases at the state-run Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station , told Gizmodo over the phone. Just two years later, his fears would be confirmed.The case involved a 29-year-old woman who found a tick at the nape of her neck after visiting a beach in Fairfield County in August 2023.
“For those native tick species that we have, like blacklegged ticks, climate change causes those tick species to move further north. But when it comes to invasive species, this provides a conducive environment for them once they land here,” Molaei said. With Gulf Coast ticks, it’s likely that they were brought to the Northeast via migratory birds. And the milder winters now common in the region mean that they’re able to survive the cold and establish a sustained foothold.
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