News

A Massachusetts public health update on tick activity and tick-borne illness rates across the state, with Dukes and Nantucket counties reporting the highest rates of tick-related emergency department visits. Includes coverage of Massachusetts' new alpha-gal reporting requirement and standard prevention guidance.

A national business story on the economic toll of Martha's Vineyard's tick crisis, with ferry ridership down 5% and short-term rentals softening as tourists cut trips short or reconsider visiting altogether — and local businesses grappling with how to respond.

A Long Island man becomes the first in New York to be diagnosed with Bourbon virus, a rare and potentially fatal tick-borne illness spread by lone star ticks that has no vaccine or treatment. Doctors warn the virus may be more prevalent than currently recognized, given how closely its symptoms resemble other tick-borne infections.

A compelling argument that America's tick problem has outgrown individual prevention and demands a coordinated public response, surveying the full range of potential solutions: from deer culling and tick-killing drugs to vaccines and targeted pesticides — and calling for the political will to use them.

A clear, expert-driven explainer on alpha-gal syndrome covering where lone star ticks are established, how to prevent bites, how the syndrome is diagnosed, and what treatment options currently exist. A practical reference for anyone living in or visiting tick-prone areas like Martha's Vineyard.

Researchers from NEWVEC are partnering with the Chappaquiddick community to test tick-killing medications delivered through deer bait — a targeted approach that could offer a scalable model for communities across the country, with trials planned for fall 2026 and a potential Chappy deployment in spring 2027.

Lea Hamner and Aubrey Stimola Ryan represented Martha's Vineyard at the first national alpha-gal syndrome conference in Raleigh, where Hamner presented on the island's response and the community's coordinated approach drew recognition from the CDC. The piece covers key takeaways on treatment, deer management, and the road ahead for national alpha-gal policy.

A Martha's Vineyard gardener raises questions about the ecological impact of widespread tick spraying, calling for a more thoughtful conversation about protecting human health without undermining the island's living systems.

A national overview of the expanding threat of vector-borne disease, covering the surge in tick-borne illnesses including Lyme, alpha-gal, and the self-cloning Asian longhorned tick with a mention of Martha's Vineyard, alongside mosquito risks, prevention tips, and emerging treatments.

A compelling opinion essay arguing that the U.S. must move beyond individual tick prevention toward a coordinated, federally funded response. Drawing on the history of malaria eradication and the rapid spread of Lyme disease, alpha-gal, and other tick-borne illnesses across the eastern United States.