Ticks set ER records as Lyme disease rises in Ohio
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Tick season is in full force with summer approaching, and May being Lyme Disease Awareness Month helps remind us of the risks these pests pose.
Why it matters: Tick-related illnesses are skyrocketing this season, sending people to the ER in record numbers.
The latest: April saw 104 ER visits for tick bites per 100,000 total ER visits, up from 68 in April 2025, according to preliminary data from the CDC's Tick Bite Tracker.
- In all regions except for the south-central region of the U.S. — where blacklegged ticks are less common — weekly rates of ER visits for tick bites are the highest for this time of year since 2017, the CDC reports.
Zoom in: Lyme disease, the bacterial infection transmitted primarily through tick bites, was once largely concentrated in the Northeast.
- Today, around half of Ohio's ticks may be carrying it — a significantly greater rate than just a decade ago, according to Ohio State researchers.
- That puts both humans and animals at much greater risk.
Context: Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in the U.S., but ticks also spread other serious diseases, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, babesiosis and alpha-gal syndrome.
Zoom out: Goudarz Molaei, who directs the Tick and Tick-Borne Disease Surveillance Program at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, has seen a local increase in bites, but cautions against reading too much into one early-season spike.
- He suspects blacklegged ticks had a late start this year — which can happen after a cold winter — and says he's "not sure these unusually high numbers will continue."
Yes, but: Climate change is helping ticks multiply and spread into new areas, with warmer, more humid springs and summers fueling bigger populations, Molaei says.
- A cold winter doesn't necessarily wipe the pests out — certain ticks adapt to shelter under snow, hide in leaf litter and even produce antifreeze-like substances to survive freezing temperatures.
🛡️ To prevent tick bites, the CDC recommends:
- Wearing EPA-registered insect repellent and permethrin-treated clothing outdoors.
- Doing a tick check after being outside — ticks like leaf litter, tall grass, and wooded areas.
- Removing attached ticks, ideally within 24 hours, and watching for a rash or fever in the days or weeks after a bite. See a doctor promptly if either appears.