Reed Calls for Increased Funding to Combat Tick-borne Illnesses

WARWICK, RI - The uptick of little blood suckers demands a surge in federal funding and preventive measures to combat ticks in 2026.

U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), a leading member of the Appropriations Committee, today joined renowned researcher, Dr. Thomas Mather from the University of Rhode Island (URI), and local Lyme disease patients and advocates at Warwick City Park to call for increased federal investments in combatting and preventing Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. Speakers at the event stressed they want Rhode Islanders to continue enjoying the great outdoors while taking commonsense measures to battle uninvited ticks and the variety of dangerous diseases they bring with them.

Dr. Mather notes that Rhode Island has seen tick encounters rise over the last decade, including a surge of the aggressive Lone Star tick population in the Ocean State.

Rhode Island and the nation are currently experiencing a surge in tick-borne illnesses. In response, Senator Reed is urging Congress to reverse the Trump Administration's federal research cuts and increase funding to boost research and surveillance and develop better testing and treatments as well as more effective, targeted tick-control measures to prevent the spread of these blood-sucking bugs.

Senator Reed is fighting for $275 million in federal funding for research of ticks and tickborne diseases in the 2027 federal budget, a significant $90 million boost over what Congress allocated in fiscal year 2026 toward these efforts.

Reed says it is a needed investment given that Lyme disease alone is estimated to cost the U.S. health system over $1 billion each year, and that figure does not fully account for other tick-borne infections, veterinary care, or livestock industry losses. In fact, a 2025 report found that: "Each year diseases caused by tick-borne pathogens result in an estimated 13-19 billion USD in losses to livestock producers in the United States alone."

Reed says getting Rhode Island's tick population under control is also an economic imperative for the state's tourism industry. Rising tick populations and a surge in tick-borne illnesses pose a threat to regional and ecotourism. Visitor concerns over tick-borne illnesses can cause people to alter travel plans, choose different destinations, and cause major drops in outdoor recreation bookings.

"Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses continue to pose serious, growing public health challenges. We've made a lot of progress but more must be done. Federal research and intervention investments are critical to staying ahead of these often-mysterious diseases and keeping people safe, particularly here in Rhode Island and throughout the Northeast," said Reed, who was instrumental in establishing a national strategy to combat Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases in 2016. "People should be able to enjoy the great outdoors while staying safe and being aware of how they can best protect themselves and their families. I'll continue to push for smart investments that help pave the way for new federal research and coordination by experts like Dr. Mather and his team to better understand the best and safest ways to protect people from tick bites."

Mather added that ticks have become more widespread in recent years - not just in Rhode Island, but across the country and invading new ecosystems - from forests to more populated areas. And now it's not just blacklegged ticks (also known as deer ticks) on the move. Data collected through URI's TickEncounter program, led by Dr. Mather (also known as "The TickGuy"), shows a 1,300 percent increase in Lone Star tick encounters recorded by residents in the Ocean State over the last decade. Another tick, the invasive longhorned tick has also moved into parts of Rhode Island, especially on Block Island and southern Rhode Island coastal communities.

"With more types of ticks, disease risk can get confusing," Mather explained. "It is important for people to know how to distinguish between the species because the different types of ticks transmit different disease-causing germs. Knowing the type of tick and the different diseases they are associated with can help guide the level of concern following a tick encounter, and also the most appropriate next steps someone encountering a tick should take. For example, since Lone star ticks don't transmit the Lyme disease germ, or any of the same germs transmitted by blacklegged ticks, there would be no benefit to taking a prophylactic dose of antibiotics to help prevent Lyme disease if bitten by a lone star tick."

There are about 15 disease microbes transmitted by a variety of ticks in different regions of the United States. The deer tick, found widely in the Northeast, transmits seven diseases, including the "big three" most common illnesses: Lyme disease; which is the most prevalent. Almost half a million Americans contract Lyme disease every year, researchers estimate; Anaplasmosis, which infects white cells and causes systemic illness; and Babesiosis, a blood infection that can cause severe illness caused by the parasite babesia microti that is spread to humans by ticks who get it from white-footed mice.

Also increasingly prevalent in New England is the Lone Star tick (named for the distinctive white patch on the back of females) which can induce an allergic reaction through their bite that can cause Alpha-gal Syndrome (AGS), which sometimes causes a red meat allergy, flu-like symptoms, and other side effects. Other serious ailments spread by certain types of ticks include Rocky Mountain spotted fever and the Powassan virus.

As Congress debates appropriations, the increased funding sought by Senator Reed includes an additional $25 million for tick-borne disease research at the National Institute of Health (NIH) as well as an additional $10 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) tick programs, including public awareness campaigns. Additionally, $50 million is being requested to develop a clinical trials network for faster testing and improved treatments through the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).

Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, is also calling for a $2 million investment in the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Tick-Borne Research Program (TBDRP) to improve military readiness by identifying and assessing current and emerging health threats, developing and communicating public health solutions, and assuring the quality and effectiveness of the Army's Public Health Enterprise.

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