‘Have a healthy respect that nature sometimes bites back’
Getty Images Health ‘Have a healthy respect that nature sometimes bites back’ It’s a bad year for ticks. Here are some precautions, and steps to take if you get bitten. Samantha Laine Perfas Harvard Staff Writer July 8, 2025 4 min read Public health officials are saying this year is a particularly bad one for ticks, due to milder winters and rainy springs in many parts of the country. In a virtual event hosted by Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, experts from medicine, epidemiology, and environmental health came together to remind the public that these critters, which carry a range of serious diseases, can put a huge damper on summer plans if not taken seriously. “Go outside. Enjoy nature, it’s healthy for you; but just have a healthy respect that nature sometimes bites back,” said Richard Pollack, senior environmental public health officer. Gaurab Basu, an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Health, said it’s important to approach tick...