MD At High Risk In 2022 Tick Season: How To Prevent Illnesses

Temperatures have hit the 80s a few times, so spring is underway and adult ticks — which can transmit a variety of serious illnesses — are already actively latching onto people and their pets in Maryland.

According to the annual pet parasite forecast from the Companion Animal Parasite Council, 2022's tick season is expected to pose higher-than-average risk for pets this year as the disease spreads south and west in the U.S. Heartworm and other vector-borne illnesses are also an increased risk to pets in the country, especially those on the Atlantic coast and into Maryland.

Increased risk for Lyme disease this year comes in part due to several factors:

• Distribution and prevalence of vector (mosquito and tick) populations
• Shifting wildlife populations and their incursion into newly developed and reclaimed areas
• Short- and long-term changes in climate
• Changes in habitat due to natural or human-induced processes

Lyme disease, which can be fatal in pets, is spreading due to the expansion of tick host habitat range, primarily deer and rodents, and migratory birds carrying ticks to new areas, according to the organization. Warmer weather and longer reproductive seasons also come into play, and 2022 is expected to see an extended period of summer sun.

High risks of Lyme disease persist in all portions of the Northeast, which includes Maryland and Virginia for the parasite group's tracking. Pet owners should test pets for Lyme disease annually and use tick preventatives year-round.