Suffolk becomes New York's Lyme disease epicenter amid rising tick illnesses

Schumer’s office put the Montauk-to-Manhattan region at more than 6,600 Lyme cases last year, with many New York City infections acquired in Suffolk. Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and babesiosis continue to rise statewide, while Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Powassan virus have held steadier.

The state also lists alpha-gal syndrome, ehrlichiosis, hard tick relapsing fever and Powassan encephalitis among the serious illnesses spread by ticks in New York. At the Huntington press event, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine called ticks a “true public health crisis” and said he has had Lyme disease twice. Stony Brook infectious-disease specialist Dr. Luis Marcos said more than 12 tick-borne diseases may affect humans.

Suffolk County has spent years building out its response. The Suffolk County Department of Health Services began a tick and pathogen study with the state in 2016, after a county task force was created in 2011 and issued its final report in 2015. The surveillance program samples ticks from all 10 townships, but the findings come from a single collection point in each township and do not represent every neighborhood or park within it.

The samples have identified tick-borne pathogens at infection rates similar to those seen in other New York counties and in the scientific literature. The county has since hired a full-time entomologist, expanded countywide surveillance and launched a tick-control capital program at Indian Island County Park. The Suffolk County Tick Control Advisory Committee has continued to push for more research, broader public education and additional funding.