© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Cancer Answers is hosted by Dr. Anees Chagpar, Associate Professor of Surgical Oncology and Director of The Breast Center at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and Dr. Francine Foss, Professor of Medical Oncology. The show features a guest cancer specialist who will share the most recent advances in cancer therapy and respond to listeners questions. Myths, facts and advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment are discussed, with a different focus eachweek. Nationally acclaimed specialists in various types of cancer research, diagnosis, and treatment discuss common misconceptions about the disease and respond to questions from the community.Listeners can submit questions to be answered on the program at canceranswers@yale.edu or by leaving a message at (888) 234-4YCC. As a resource, archived programs from 2006 through the present are available in both audio and written versions on the Yale Cancer Center website.

Connecticut's Tick 'Crisis' Won't Be Going Away Anytime Soon

Patrick Skahill
/
WNPR
Goudarz Molaei directs the tick-testing program for the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. "We are in the midst of, unfortunately, a public health crisis," he said.

More and more ticks in Connecticut are testing positive for the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. It’s a trend the head of the state’s tick-testing lab doesn’t see abating.

“We are in the midst of, unfortunately, a public health crisis,” said Goudarz Molaei, a research scientist and director of the tick-testing program at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven.

This year, Molaei said of the more than 2,600 ticks tested, nearly one in two are infected. That means they are carriers of the agents that cause Lyme disease in people.

It’s a rate up about 10 percent from what the lab has seen over the past several years. And a trend Molaei doesn’t see slowing down anytime soon.

“[The] tick problem here will stay with us. New tick-borne diseases will emerge,” Molaei said. “Tick range, and disease range, will expand and will be going further north.”

Molaei attributes the uptick in infected populations to a lot of factors.

Credit Patrick Skahill / WNPR
/
WNPR
"It is believed that for Lyme disease agents, a deer tick is required to be engaged in blood feeding at least for 36 hours," Molaei said. "But there have been cases that a tick has been engaged in blood feeding for less than that ... but still people got Lyme disease."

Human encroachment into wildlife zones is one. Climate change and more hot and humid days are another. And the continued growth of mammal populations, particularly deer and white-footed mice, which aid ticks in reproduction and disease transmission, could be one of the biggest reasons why Connecticut and the northeast are seeing more and more infected ticks.

“We will witness new tick-borne pathogens that we haven’t seen before,” Molaei said.

Because of all that, Molaei said cover up when you’re hiking and always do tick checks after spending time outdoors.

Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. He can be reached at pskahill@ctpublic.org.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content