NEW HAVEN -- It's not bills in the mail at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. It's ticks submitted by the public to test for disease and now some may carry a new threat and the mail delivery is getting bigger every day.
“The numbers are overwhelming, " said Dr. Theodore Andreadis, director of the Agricultural Station. "We’re getting 10 fold over what we’ve gotten in years past “
In the past, the ticks have been carriers for lyme disease but now researchers are watching something potentially worse.
"We have evidence that 3-4 percent of ticks are infected with the Powassin virus,” said research scientist, Dr. Gouearz Molaei.
The problem? With the Powassin virus, there’s little time – minutes- between bite and infection and there’s no treatment because it’s a virus. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, and vomiting.
Scientists at the Agricultural Experiment Station don’t currently test for the Powassin virus – but if the mail keeps growing, and the cases keep developing – other responsibilities will have to be pushed aside.
Higher tick survival in winter in the leaf litter is leading to more ticks in spring. Over at Central Hospital For Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Julia Shakari has seen an uptick in business as well.
“They definitely were out earlier this year than compared to other years. Definitely check your pet, because when they come into the house, they may be coming off your pet, but they’re going somewhere," said Shakeri.