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| credit: Climate Central |
Lyme disease can be devastating and lead to serious complications if not treated early. Climate change is not only foretasted to bring more rain to the Northeast, but the increased hot and muggy climate will only
breed more deer ticks
(Ioxides scapularis) which carry the disease. Populations of deer ticks are projected to increase two fold in the US.
[map] A
recent study shows that deer ticks died faster when relative humidity was moderate (75%), but when relative humidity is high (>85%) deer ticks survive longer. This is not good news for humans in the Northeast who are spending more time outdoors or live near wooded areas. People in the Southeast may be luckier.
Precipitation has declined in that region. encouraging young ticks to stay in the leaf litter where it is moist.
