As outdoor activity increases with the warmer months, Long Island health officials are urging residents to take extra precautions against ticks amid a sharp rise in bites and tick-borne illnesses. Pediatric clinicians have reported an increase in cases since mid-April, particularly among children aged 5 to 9.

Tick-borne diseases have become a seasonal norm across Suffolk County. Lyme disease remains the most frequently diagnosed, while emerging threats, such as babesiosis—transmitted by the same black-legged tick—are on the rise, especially among older adults. Though deer are often blamed, environmental scientists emphasize that the white-footed mouse is the primary host sustaining local tick populations.

Dr. Steven Heyman, a Long Island-based integrative physician, confirms that clinicians are seeing a consistent increase in tick-related infections across age groups. “Patients are looking for more than antibiotics,” he says, “especially when symptoms linger.” Among the integrative approaches gaining attention is intravenous ozone therapy. Dr. Howard Robins, a New York-based specialist, has administered more than 420,000 treatments using the Robins Method of Direct Intravenous Ozone Therapy, including to thousands of patients with Lyme disease. “Ozone can neutralize infectious agents and support natural healing,” Robins explains. A forthcoming study in the Journal of Immunology, to which he contributed as co-author, reveals not only ozone’s effectiveness against Borrelia—the bacteria behind Lyme—but also its mechanism of action. Robins emphasizes the critical role of the Global Lyme Alliance, which funds research and awareness to advance new treatments.

Resources are available through Cornell Cooperative Extension at 423 Griffing Avenue, Riverhead; Stony Brook Southampton Hospital at 240 Meeting House Lane, Southampton; and Dr. Howard Robins at Ozone Therapy, 212-581-0101.