Yale Ticks likely hitchhiked across continents on human travelers, experts say. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) reports that it has identified four nonnative exotic tick species in Connecticut in recent years, with the blood-feeding parasites and disease vectors hitching a ride on unknowing travelers returning to the state.
Although the exotic ticks found on international travelers may not be considered an immediate public health threat because of their extremely limited numbers, their presence serves as a powerful reminder for travelers to be extra vigilant in checking for ticks before returning home, especially if they spent a lot of time outdoors.
“People should also conduct thorough tick checks while traveling, particularly following outdoor activity in potentially tick-infested areas, and be proactive in monitoring possible symptoms following a tick bite,” said Dr. Goudarz Molaei, a research scientist and medical entomologist who directs the CAES Passive Tick and Tick-Borne Disease Surveillance Program (aka Tick Testing Laboratory).