LEONARDTOWN, Md. — As temperatures rise and Southern Maryland residents spend more time hiking, fishing, gardening and enjoying the outdoors, local health officials and medical professionals are reminding the public that tick season has returned.
While most tick bites may not result in serious illness, experts say awareness, prevention and recognizing symptoms early remain the best ways to reduce the risk of tick-borne disease. In Southern Maryland, Lyme disease continues to be the most commonly reported tick-borne illness, while alpha-gal syndrome — an allergy linked to bites from the lone star tick — remains a growing concern in the region.
A MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital physician and the St. Mary’s County Health Department said residents should not let concerns about ticks keep them from enjoying the outdoors, but they should take simple precautions and know when a tick bite warrants medical attention.
Emergency Medicine Physician Sees Tick-Related Concerns Increase With Summer Activities
Dr. Chloe McCoy, an emergency medicine physician at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital and a fellowship-trained wilderness medicine physician, said emergency physicians are already seeing more patients with tick-related concerns as summer gets underway. In addition to practicing emergency medicine, McCoy co-leads the Wilderness Medicine Elective at Georgetown University School of Medicine, where she teaches fourth-year medical students about providing medical care in outdoor and remote environments.
“We’re definitely seeing an uptick in tick-related concerns, particularly as people start venturing outdoors with the weather warming up and summer activities starting,” McCoy said.
While many patients seek care after discovering an attached tick, McCoy said the vast majority of bites do not result in illness. Instead, she encouraged residents to focus on prevention, prompt tick removal and recognizing symptoms that warrant medical attention.
Tick Exposure Isn’t Limited To Hiking Trails
One of the biggest misconceptions McCoy encounters is the belief that tick bites only happen while hiking deep in the woods.
“A lot of people think, ‘Well, I didn’t go camping. I haven’t been hiking.’ But we have ticks in all of our green spaces,” McCoy said. “That includes parks, backyards and any public area that has plants.”
McCoy said routine outdoor activities such as gardening, walking the dog, children’s sports and neighborhood parks can all present opportunities for tick exposure, making awareness important even close to home.
Some Tick Bites Are Harmless, But Symptoms Shouldn’t Be Ignored
Emergency physicians routinely treat patients who arrive with concerns after discovering a tick bite or developing symptoms days or weeks later. While many bites require nothing more than monitoring, health care providers say recognizing early warning signs can make a significant difference in diagnosis and treatment.
Lyme Disease Can Look Like A Summer Virus
McCoy said many people expect Lyme disease to begin with the classic bull’s-eye rash, but that’s only part of the picture.
“The majority of symptoms that people get with Lyme disease are kind of insidious and more flu-like in nature,” McCoy said. “So, they can be easily attributed to a summer cold or just a viral infection.”
Because symptoms such as fatigue, body aches, headaches and fever can resemble common viral illnesses, McCoy said residents should consider recent outdoor activities when deciding whether to contact their health care provider.
“Sometimes people can’t even identify a tick exposure, and so as health care providers we have to have a low threshold for testing when patients come in with these nonspecific flu-like symptoms, especially when they live in an area like this where we have such a big tick burden,” McCoy said.
One of the biggest challenges, according to McCoy, is that many people never realize they were bitten. Nymph-stage ticks can be extremely small and often go unnoticed, making it important for residents to pay attention to symptoms following time spent outdoors.
Alpha-Gal Syndrome Remains On Physicians’ Radar
McCoy also discussed alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy associated with bites from lone star ticks that can cause delayed allergic reactions after eating red meat and other mammalian products.
While Lyme disease remains far more common, McCoy said health care providers continue to receive more questions about alpha-gal syndrome from patients.
“We’re seeing an increase in the awareness of alpha-gal and more questions about alpha-gal from patients in our health care facilities,” McCoy said.
Because Southern Maryland has previously reported some of Maryland’s highest concentrations of alpha-gal syndrome, local physicians and public health officials continue encouraging awareness of the condition among residents who spend time outdoors.
Southern Maryland Continues To Monitor Tick-Borne Illnesses
Dr. Meena Brewster, deputy health officer for the St. Mary’s County Health Department, said tick-borne diseases remain an important public health concern both locally and across Maryland.
“Lyme disease remains the most commonly reported tick-borne disease in Maryland and in St. Mary’s County,” Brewster said. “In 2025, St. Mary’s County had 62 reported Lyme disease cases; however, reported case counts likely underestimate the true number of infections because not all infections are diagnosed, tested or reported.”
Although Rocky Mountain spotted fever is reported less frequently, Brewster said it can be severe if left untreated. While the county typically averages about three reported cases each year, St. Mary’s County had already reached that number during the early months of 2026.
“For Rocky Mountain spotted fever and some other tick-borne diseases, fever, headache, rash, nausea, vomiting, or muscle pain may occur, and early treatment is important,” Brewster said.
Alpha-Gal Syndrome Remains A Local Concern
The St. Mary’s County Health Department is also closely monitoring alpha-gal syndrome, the allergy associated with bites from lone star ticks.
“We are also continuing to pay close attention to alpha-gal syndrome because St. Mary’s County has had one of the highest rates of alpha-gal specific lab findings in Maryland,” Brewster said.
Unlike Lyme disease, alpha-gal syndrome is not currently a reportable disease in Maryland, limiting the amount of data available to public health officials. Because of that gap, the St. Mary’s County Health Department has formally recommended that the Maryland Department of Health add alpha-gal syndrome to the state’s list of reportable diseases.
“Positive lab findings tell us that alpha-gal sensitization is present in the community,” Brewster said. “But not every positive lab test necessarily means the person has clinical symptoms of alpha-gal syndrome.”
Recognizing Symptoms Of Tick-Borne Illnesses Early
Brewster encouraged residents to contact a health care provider if they develop symptoms after a tick bite. Symptoms may include fever, chills, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, joint pain, swollen lymph nodes or a rash.
“Residents should contact a health care provider if they develop symptoms after a tick bite or after spending time in areas where ticks may be present,” Brewster said.
Brewster also encouraged residents to seek medical advice if they experience delayed allergic reactions after eating red meat or mammalian-derived products, which may indicate alpha-gal syndrome.
“Residents should also seek medical advice if they experience delayed allergic symptoms such as hives, swelling, stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, dizziness, or a severe allergic reaction,” Brewster said. “These symptoms may occur several hours after eating and could be related to alpha-gal syndrome.”
Brewster and McCoy both emphasized that not every tick carries disease, and not every tick bite leads to illness. However, they encourage residents to remain vigilant and seek medical advice if symptoms develop after spending time outdoors, or if they have concerns about tick bites.
Tick Prevention Starts Before You Leave Home
Both health care providers and public health officials agreed that preventing tick bites remains the best defense against tick-borne illnesses.
Simple precautions can significantly reduce the likelihood of exposure while allowing families to continue enjoying parks, trails and other outdoor activities throughout the summer.
Brewster recommended wearing long sleeves and long pants in tick habitats, using EPA-registered insect repellents, considering permethrin-treated clothing for people who spend significant time outdoors and walking on the center of hiking and climbing trails whenever possible.
“Wear long sleeves, long pants, and socks when spending time in a tick habitat,” Brewster said. “Use an EPA-registered insect repellent labeled for ticks. Common active ingredients include DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, or 2-undecanone.”
Brewster noted that products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol should not be used on children under the age of three.
Brewster recommended that residents should shower as soon as possible after returning home from outdoor activities, perform thorough tick checks, inspect children and pets, and promptly remove attached ticks with fine-tipped tweezers.
Additionally, she recommended checking under the arms, in and around the ears, around the hairline, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs and around the waist.
“Check children, pets, coats, backpacks, and outdoor gear,” Brewster said. “Tumble dry clothing on high heat for at least 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing. If clothes are wet or need washing, wash with hot water and then dry on high heat.”
Brewster also recommended reducing tick habitats around the home by removing leaf litter, mowing regularly and clearing tall grass and brush around yards and wooded edges.
McCoy also said preventing tick bites begins before heading outdoors and continues after returning home.
“The sooner you can get the tick off, the lower your risk of actually getting any illnesses from it,” McCoy said.
McCoy recommended wearing EPA-approved insect repellent, treating clothing with permethrin, avoiding tall grass whenever possible and performing thorough tick checks after spending time outdoors. She noted that when treating clothes with permethrin, do it before wearing the clothes and allow them to fully dry before putting them on.
“After you’ve been outside, after your kids have been outside, after you’ve taken your dog on a walk — doing thorough tick checks is part of prevention,” McCoy said.
McCoy emphasized that pet owners should also examine their animals after spending time outdoors because pets will carry ticks into the home.
“Including the animals in your tick checks is essential, especially the animals that are inside-outside animals,” McCoy said.
As residents head outdoors this summer, both McCoy and Brewster emphasized that awareness — not fear — should guide outdoor recreation. By taking simple precautions, performing routine tick checks and recognizing symptoms early, they said families can continue enjoying Southern Maryland’s parks, trails and waterways while reducing the risk of tick-borne illness.
Three Southern Maryland Tick Species To Know
Several species of ticks live throughout Maryland, but three species are most commonly associated with tick-borne illness in Southern Maryland.
The black-legged tick, commonly called the deer tick, is the primary carrier of Lyme disease in Maryland. It may also transmit other illnesses, including anaplasmosis and babesiosis.
The lone star tick, recognizable by the single white spot on the back of adult females, has become increasingly common across the Mid-Atlantic. While it is not known to transmit Lyme disease, it is associated with alpha-gal syndrome, a delayed allergic reaction to mammalian meat and other mammalian-derived products and can also spread ehrlichiosis.
The American dog tick is commonly found in grassy fields, trails and other open areas. Although larger and often easier to spot than other tick species, it can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a potentially serious bacterial illness.
While recognizing the different species can help residents understand their risks, both physicians and public health officials emphasized that any attached tick should be removed promptly and monitored carefully. Because it can be difficult to identify a tick after a bite — and because symptoms may develop days or even weeks later — they recommend seeking medical advice if illness develops following outdoor exposure.
Fast Facts About Tick Season In Southern Maryland
What You Can Do To Prevent Tick Exposure
- Wear long sleeves and long pants when spending time in wooded, brushy or grassy areas
- Apply an EPA-registered insect repellent and follow the label directions
- Stay on cleared trails whenever possible
- Perform a thorough tick check after spending time outdoors, including checking children and pets
- Shower within two hours of coming indoors
- Remove attached ticks promptly using fine-tipped tweezers
Watch for Symptoms of Tick-Borne Illnesses
Contact your health care provider if you develop any of the following symptoms after a tick bite or spending time outdoors:
- Fever or chills
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Muscle or joint aches
- A bull’s-eye rash or other unusual rash
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Delayed allergic reactions after eating red meat or other mammalian products, including hives, stomach pain, vomiting or difficulty breathing
Local Tick-Borne Diseases in Southern Maryland
Health officials in St. Mary’s County monitor several tick-borne illnesses, including:
- Lyme disease (the most commonly reported tick-borne disease in Maryland)
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever
- Alpha-gal syndrome
Learn More About Ticks and Prevention in Southern Maryland
Additional information about tick-borne illnesses and prevention is available through the St. Mary’s County Health Department, the Maryland Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- St. Mary’s County Health Department
- Maryland Department of Health
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency insect repellent search tool
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