Illnesses from ticks and insects have tripled in the US since 2004. Here’s why.

A doctor in Denver, Colorado recently called tick biologist Nathan Nieto to say that he found a lone star tick feeding on a patient. 

The problem is, lone star ticks aren’t supposed to be found anywhere near Denver. These ticks are supposed to live in the eastern United States, said Nieto, a biologist at Northern Arizona University, in an interview. 

But ticks, along with mosquitos and other biting insects, are now spreading disease throughout the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report Tuesday showing that diseases from biting insects, ticks, and mosquitos in the U.S. have tripled since 2004. Read more…

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