Some days it feels like we’re losing a battle against mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, flies and worms.
Just this month, tularemia, also known as rabbit fever and caused by a bacterium in ticks and deer flies, was detected in people living on Long Island. A park in Marin County was shut down in July after it was found to be teeming with fleas, which can carry plague and typhus. And in April, Rickettsia, a rare but deadly tick-borne bacterium, was found in a person living in Sonoma County.
Lyme disease and Alpha-gal syndrome are expanding their range. Dengue and typhus are increasing. There are still reports of West Nile, Zika and Chikungunya, plus the potential introductions of Chagas and rat lungworm disease. Some of these are contracted overseas, while others are seemingly settling in for the long haul…