Tick Stories Make Headline News

In this episode of What The Morgs? Podcast, host Britt Girvan reviews some of the biggest Lyme disease and tick-borne illness headlines making news as we enter peak tick season. From rising tick populations and increasing Lyme disease rates to growing concerns about alpha-gal syndrome, patient misdiagnosis stories, and new federal funding initiatives, Britt explores what these developments mean for the Lyme community and why awareness has never been more important.

Topics Discussed:
• Rising Tick Populations & Lyme Disease Risk
Recent reports showing increased tick activity across the United States, growing Lyme disease prevalence, and why experts are warning that this could be one of the most active tick seasons in years.
• Alpha-Gal Syndrome & Emerging Tick-Borne Health Concerns
How tick bites can lead to alpha-gal syndrome, a potentially life-altering allergy to red meat and dairy products, and why healthcare professionals are increasingly concerned about its growing prevalence.
• The Reality of Lyme Disease Misdiagnosis & New Federal Action
A look at a widely reported patient story involving years of missed diagnoses before receiving a Lyme disease diagnosis, along with a discussion of a new federal initiative aimed at advancing Lyme disease research, prevention, and patient care.

About What The Morgs? Podcast:
What The Morgs? is a podcast for people navigating Lyme and Morgellons disease. Hosted by Britt Girvan, the show is built on a mission to support, educate, and empower those affected—turning personal struggle into shared strength and purpose.

What The Morgs? Podcast Website: https://whatthemorgs.com/

Sources: 

https://www.foxnews.com/health/tick-bite-er-visits-hit-highest-seasonal-level-years-doctors-warn-disease-surge 

https://www.wxyz.com/health/high-tick-risk-this-june-across-10-states-sparks-lyme-disease-concerns 

https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-unveils-plan-to-combat-lyme-disease.html 

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/rfk-lyme-disease/2026/05/29/id/1257988/ 

https://people.com/pregnant-woman-finds-tick-on-knee-lyme-disease-exclusive-11984252 

https://www.binghamton.edu/news/story/6267/ticks-are-spreading-like-wildfire-and-more-of-them-are-carrying-lyme 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hi, I'm Britt Gervin, host of What the Morgs podcast, and I am so happy that you're here. This podcast is dedicated to raising awareness for both Lyme and Morgellan's disease. I promise to give you authentic conversation, lived experiences, and expert interviews with people in the medical community. I'm so grateful that you're here. Thank you so much for tuning in. Hi everyone, Rick Gervin here. Welcome back to What the Morgu's podcast, where we explore the mysteries, challenges, and breakthroughs surrounding Morgellan's disease, Lyme disease, wellness, and the conversation shaping our community. Today I want to talk about some important developments related to ticks, Lyme disease, and other tick-borne illnesses that have been making headlines recently. As we head into the summer months, experts are warning that this could be one of the most active tick seasons we've seen in years. Here are the top headline stories that my production team found. Binghamton University reports that on June 2nd, ticks are spreading like wildfire, and more of them are carrying Lyme disease. Fox News reports on May 28th, tick bite ER visits hit highest level in years as doctors warn of disease surge. ABC Detroit reports June 2nd, high tick risk this June across 10 states sparks Lyme disease concerns. People magazine reports on May 30th, woman dismissed and misdiagnosed by over 20 doctors after finding a tick embedded in her knee at eight months pregnant. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services just reported that on May 29th, a new multimillion dollar program aimed at advancing Lyme disease, research, prevention, and treatment. According to researchers at Binghamton University, reported on June 2nd, the tick situation in the United States has become increasingly alarming. Michelle Shamoon Poor, co-director of the university's Tick Board Disease Center, described the spread of ticks as widespread and accelerating, saying, it's really bad. They're everywhere and in most places in the Northeast. It's been really spreading like wildfire, as they say. That's not an exaggeration. Researchers at the center collect approximately 400 ticks each year, and recent findings indicate that roughly 50 to 60% of the ticks they examine carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. On May 28th, Fox News reported that emergency room visits related to tick bites have reached their highest seasonal level in years, raising concerns about a potential surge in tick-borne diseases. Experts say several factors are contributing to this increase: milder winters, warmer and wetter weather conditions, changing precipitation patterns, and continued development in wooded areas have all created environments where ticks can thrive. Dr. Stephen Goldberg noted that the geographic range of the black-legged tick, the primary carrier of Lyme disease, has expanded significantly over the past three decades. Areas including Virginia, West Virginia, and the Ohio River Valley have seen dramatic increases in tick populations. And some projections suggest the black-legged tick's habitat could expand by more than 200% by the end of the century. Dr. Siraj Sagar, chief of the infectious disease at Holy Name Medical Center, reported that Lyme disease cases have increased roughly two to threefold over the past 20 years. He also highlighted growing concerns about Alpha Gal syndrome, a potentially life-altering allergy to red meat that can develop after a tick bite from a lone star tick. Right now, Alpha Gal is being talked about globally. Everybody's sensitivity to the meat product is different. So there are some people that are breaking out in, say, rashes. There are some people their throat is um is occluding on some level. It also can be dairy as well. They can become sensitive to the dairy from the animals as well. So it could kind of depends. I mean, I remember reading a story recently about a woman who is actually so sensitive, she wears a specific mask regularly. She can no longer really go outside of her house. It's to the point where if a neighbor is simply grilling some meat, her throat starts to occlude. And so again, there are varying levels of alpha gal. As alarming as this information might be for most of you, for those of us in the Lyme community, it's not alarming. We've been dealing with being misdiagnosed, dismissed, ignored, labeled for quite a long period of time. I think it's about time it needs to stop. And we need to start, you know, taking tick-borne and other vector-borne diseases far more seriously because I think the trajectory of what we're looking at in the future is pretty grim if we don't, as a nation, choose to do something different. Adding to these concerns, a June 2nd report from the ABC Detroit highlighted elevated tick risk across 10 states this June, prompting renewed warnings from public health officials about Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. The 10 states include Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Experts are encouraging people to take precautions when spending time outdoors, including using insect repellent, wearing protective clothing, and performing thorough tech checks after being outside. In a shocking account, People magazine recently shared the story of Diana Koost, a woman whose experience highlights the challenges many patients face in getting a timely diagnosis. After discovering a tick embedded in her knee while eight months pregnant, Coost began experiencing a wide range of symptoms following the birth of her daughter, including jaw pain, night sweats, nausea, swollen lymph nodes, and extreme fatigue. Initially, many of her symptoms were attributed to postpartum exhaustion. As her health continued to decline, she sought answers from numerous specialists and was diagnosed with conditions including mast cell activation syndrome, POTS, and OCD. Despite continuing to advocate for herself, she says some providers dismissed her concerns as anxiety, leaving her feeling as though she was going crazy. Over the next two years, CUS reportedly saw more than 20 doctors and received a long list of possible diagnoses, including fibromyalgia, lupus, multiple sclerosis, ALS, and even concerns about cancer. It wasn't until three years later that she was ultimately diagnosed with stage 4 neurological Lyme disease. Unfortunately, stories like Diana's are not uncommon in the Lyme community, mine included. This story resonates deeply with me because I know firsthand what it's like to have symptoms dismissed or misunderstood. In some more encouraging news, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services unveiled a new multimillion dollar program on May 29th aimed at combating Lyme disease and advancing treatment and research. The plan includes expanded efforts focused on tick control, additional funding for research into Alpha Gow syndrome, and programs designed to connect patients with experienced health care providers. In announcing the initiative, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said, Today, the current administration is launching one of the most ambitious federal efforts ever to combat Lyme disease by accelerating research, expanding innovation, and improving care for patients and families. We are going after this disease at its source, driving faster diagnostics and new prevention strategies and delivering the urgency and actions Americans deserve. I wanted to record this episode to keep my listeners aware of what is happening, especially as the tick season is here and stronger than ever. It's important to stay up to date on the news and in the Lyme community. If you like this style of episode, please let me know and I can do a bi-monthly current news check-in. Please stay aware and be careful. I have an episode posted dedicated to tick season and how to keep yourself and pets protected. Thank you for tuning in. I'll be back with another episode in two weeks. Thank you so much for tuning in to What the Morgues Podcast. I'm beyond grateful that you're here, and thank you so much for being a part of the special community. To learn more, you can visit us at whatthemorgues.com and you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram at WhatThemorgues podcast. Thank you so much for tuning in.