Lone star ticks are one of the easiest ticks to identify thanks to a conspicuous bright white dot located on the back of adult females.

Although lone star ticks don't transmit Lyme disease, they've been making headlines in recent years because bites from these ticks have been connected to alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), a potentially serious condition that affects a small number of people bitten by these ticks, resulting in severe allergic reactions to beef, pork and lamb. All of these red meats contain the carbohydrate alpha gal, which is also a constituent of lone star tick saliva. In contrast to typical allergic reactions, AGS can kick in several hours after exposure.

This oddball red meat allergy isn't the only concern caused by this tick species. It can also transmit several illnesses that impact human health including ehrlichiosis and southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI). There are also concerns that it may transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Additionally, lone star ticks contain a mixed bag of additional microorganisms, some of which are known to cause human illness (such as the pathogens responsible for tularemia and Q fever) and others for which their ability to make people ill requires more research.

The good news is this aggressive biter primarily lives in the southeastern US where it feeds on a wide variety of mammals and birds including cattle, dogs, horses and humans. The bad news is lone star ticks have been documented in just about every state and because they commonly feeds on ground-dwelling birds that have a tendency to migrate into Canada, they're increasingly being spotted in eastern and central Canada as well as in other parts of the country. The eTick.ca platform, which monitors tick populations through photo submissions from Canadian residents, received images of 36 lone star ticks in 2023, 13 of which were found on animals and 23 on humans in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Quebec. That's up from 27 the platform received in 2022. A quick survey of eTick.ca's records for 2024 suggests that submissions of lone star tick photos are on target to hit an all time high this year.

Although lone star ticks are frequently spotted in Canada, the species is not yet known to have established permanent populations anywhere in this country but public health professionals are bracing for that to happen sooner rather than later as more and more lone star ticks make their way into many regions of Canada that already possess the climate and environmental conditions required for their establishment.