Ticks survive winter, emerge hungry
Doctoral student Connie Johnson shows a vial of Gulf Coast ticks she picked up around North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C. The tick was first discovered in Pennsylvania in 2021. Associated Press
While barbecues, swimming, balmy weather and flip-flops are a part of summer in Butler County, so are deer ticks, which can spread a life-changing disease.
Jamar Thrasher, press secretary in the state Department of Environmental Protection’s central office, said 54% of deer ticks in Pennsylvania are infected with Lyme disease.
Butler County had the most cases of Lyme disease in the state in 2017, and Pennsylvania has found itself in the top 10 states for cases of Lyme disease every year since 2008.
For 11 of those years, Pennsylvania scored No. 1 for cases of Lyme disease.
