The first human case of an emerging tick-borne disease has been reported in Connecticut despite only previously being found in the Southeast.
According to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES), this is the first locally acquired human case of Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis.
Carried by the Gulf Coast Tick, the disease has been compared to Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) with “relatively milder” symptoms.
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While these ticks are typically found around the Gulf Coast region in coastal areas of states such as Texas and Florida, climate change has resulted in their expansion further north.
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Dr Goudarz Molaei, a research scientist who directs CAES’ Tick Testing Laboratory, said: “Rising global temperatures, ecological changes, reforestation, and increases in commerce and travel are important underlying factors influencing the rate and extent of range expansion of ticks and associated pathogens.”
“It is anticipated that warming temperatures related to climate change may lead to the continued range expansion and abundance of several tick species, increasing their importance as emerging threats to humans, domesticated animals, and wildlife,” he added.
According to Dr. Molaei, the first established population of the Gulf Coast tick was reported in Connecticut in 2021 with a 30% infection with R. parkeri.
Populations with higher infections were later reported from New York in 2021 and New Jersey in 2024.
Migratory grassland birds are believed to play “a crucial role” in the spread of the ticks towards the Northeast – a region of the country which already has a high level of tick-borne diseases including Lyme disease and RMSF.
R.parkeri is usually treatable with antibiotics and is not normally life-threatening if treated early.
Common symptoms include fever, headaches and rashes while more extreme cases can lead to organ failure, although this is rare.
The CAES and CDC recommend taking precautions including the use of approved repellents and conducting thorough tick checks following exposure to areas with a high tick risk.
