New York City enjoyed a warmer than normal winter — but that's now causing a larger health issue.
We usually rely on the cold to help kill off the tick population.
With the pests now growing in number, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer is pushing Federal health officials to fully implement the 21st Century Care Act, which prioritizes research, vaccine development and treatments against tick borne illnesses.
One particular concern is Powassan, an illness that is deadlier than Lyme disease. There have been 16 cases of the virus here in the city in the last decade and more than 8,000 cases of Lyme disease in the last 15 years.