As temperatures climb across much of the United States, health officials are warning that tick season is arriving with unusual intensity — and emergency rooms are already seeing the effects.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, emergency room visits tied to tick bites have reached their highest levels for this point in the year since 2017. The sharpest increases are being reported in the Northeast and Midwest, where warmer weather and shifting environmental conditions are helping ticks survive longer and spread farther than before.
The growing concern centers largely around Lyme disease, the most common tick-borne illness in America. The CDC estimates roughly 476,000 Americans receive treatment for Lyme disease each year.
The illness is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which is commonly spread through bites from infected blacklegged ticks — often referred to as deer ticks. Because these ticks can be extremely small, many people never realize they were bitten until symptoms begin appearing days or weeks later.
Harvard Health reports that approximately 90 percent of Lyme disease cases in the United States are concentrated in just 14 states: Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
The Northeast currently leads the country in tick-related emergency room visits, with the Midwest following close behind.
Experts say several factors are fueling the rise in tick populations, including warmer winters, climate shifts, and expanding wooded and grassy habitats that allow ticks to thrive in areas where they were previously less common.
Not every tick carries Lyme disease, however. Johns Hopkins Medicine notes that infection rates vary dramatically depending on location. In some regions, fewer than one percent of ticks carry the bacteria. In heavily affected areas, nearly half may be infected.
The blacklegged tick in the East and Midwest, along with the Western blacklegged tick on the Pacific Coast, are the primary carriers associated with Lyme disease transmission in the United States.
Health officials are urging Americans to take precautions whenever spending time outdoors this spring and summer, particularly in wooded areas, tall grass, hiking trails, or brush-heavy environments.
The U.S. Forest Service recommends performing a full-body tick check immediately after returning indoors. Experts advise removing clothing and inspecting shoes, backpacks, and outerwear carefully for ticks that may be hitching a ride.
Taking a shower soon after returning home can also help wash away unattached ticks and make it easier to spot any that may already be attached to the skin.
Because ticks often hide in warm, hard-to-see areas, experts recommend carefully checking the scalp, around the ears, underarms, groin, behind the knees, between toes, and even inside the belly button.
According to the CDC, Lyme disease transmission typically requires a tick to remain attached for 24 to 36 hours. But other tick-borne illnesses can spread much faster — in some cases within 15 minutes.
That makes quick detection and removal critical.
