Tick-related illness is on the rise in Rhode Island and the state’s top tick expert said education is the best defense.
Black-legged ticks, which cause Lyme disease, represent about 25% of the ticks people encounter but lone star ticks, which can trigger a red meat allergy known as alpha-gal syndrome, are spiking in the Ocean State, southeastern Massachusetts and the Islands.
Thomas Mather, professor of entomology and director of the TickEncounter Resource Center at the University of Rhode Island, explained getting to know each tick’s identifying features will determine which protective measures to take…