Emergency room visits for tick bites have surged which scientists say is 'only the tip of an iceberg of tickborne illnesses.'
Emergency room visits for tick bites have climbed to the highest levels for this time of year since 2017 in every U.S. region except the South Central states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in warning earlier this morning.
The Northeast region recorded the highest rate of emergency department visits for tick bites in 2026, with 58 per 100,000 Emergency Room visits in the first week of May, but surged to 73 as of Sunday, according to the new CDCAnd these numbers “are only the tip of an iceberg of tickborne illnesses that we have seen so far this year,” said Nicole Baumgarth, a professor of immunology and infectious disease at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health..
“We see an increasing number of tick infections, tickborne illnesses every year … and it’s unlikely this trend is going to change. "mapped out where the highest rates of emergency visits for tick bites have been this year earlier In the first week of May, the Northeast region had recorded the highest rate of emergency department visits for tick bites in 2026, with 58 per 100,000 ER visits, followed by the Midwest at 40.
The Southeast reported 21 visits per 100,000, while the West and South Central regions saw lower rates of 16 and seven, respectively. These figures have increased in all regions–in the Northeast , in the Midwest , in the Southeast , in the West and in the South Central region .
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks. Early symptoms can include fever, fatigue, headache and a characteristic “bull’s-eye” rash, according to the If left untreated, the illness can spread to the joints, heart and nervous system. Lyme disease is most common in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Upper Midwest, particularly during the warmer months when ticks are most active.
If you are bitten by a tick, the CDC said you should remove the attached tick as soon as possible and call your doctor if you develop a fever, rash or other symptoms. An antibiotic prophylaxis may help prevent Lyme disease.
, a rare red meat allergy linked to tick bites, after hundreds of cases were identified across the state, according to state newspaper Health officials said around 600 cases have been reported over the past two years, and laboratories have been required to report infections since February. The condition is most commonly caused by bites from lone star ticks, which can trigger allergic reactions to foods including beef, pork and lamb.
Symptoms can range from hives and stomach pain to severe allergic reactions in rare cases. Officials said they expect more cases to be identified as awareness and testing increase. The CDC estimates 31 million people are bitten by ticks in the United States each year, and an estimated 476,000 patients are treated for Lyme disease annually.
But multiple experts have warned that this year is set to see particularly high numbers, because of how a combination of mild winters, wetter weather and booming wildlife populations has created ideal conditions for ticks to thrive. Warmer temperatures have allowed more ticks to survive through winter and emerge earlier than usual, while a surge in white-footed mice—one of the primary hosts for blacklegged ticks—helped fuel population growth, according toClimate trends are also extending tick season in many parts of the country.
Researchers say ticks remain active for longer periods when winters are less severe and humidity levels stay high, increasing the chances of human exposure. Areas in the Northeast and Midwest are expected to see some of the heaviest activity, particularly for blacklegged ticks that can carry Lyme disease.
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