April 28, 2026
2 min read
Key takeaways:
- Tick bites are sending people to the ED at a higher rates this spring than any year since 2017.
- An ID expert said warmer temperatures may have caused the rise of dangerous tick bites.
This tick season is already setting records.
According to the CDC’s Tick Bite Data Tracker, out of every 100,000 ED visits during the fourth week of April, 114 were for a tick bite — the highest rate for this time of year since 2017.
In a statement sent to the media, the CDC said ED visits for tick bites “are higher than normal in many parts of the country.” The greatest spike is happening in the Northeast, followed by the Midwest, according to the tracker.
Past CDC data show that tick bites that send people to the ED normally peak in May.
“Tick season is here and these tiny biters can make you seriously sick,” Alison Hinckley, PhD, an epidemiologist in the CDC’s Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, said in the statement.
Daniel Pastula, MD, MHS, chief of neuro-infectious diseases and global neurology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, called the CDC’s notice on tick bites “a warning for people to take preventive measures,” such as wearing long sleeves and pants and using EPA-registered repellant in high-risk areas for ticks.
Pastula speculated that warmer temperatures in March across the country have driven the increase in tick bites.
“If it warmed up earlier,” he told Healio, “then the ticks came out earlier, and maybe that’s what we’re seeing. I can’t say that’s the 100% cause of this increase, but I’m suspicious of that.”
In fact, 192 U.S. cities found that average temperatures in March were 5.8°F above normal, according to Climate Central, an independent nonprofit that reports on the impacts of climate change.
Pastula said the current surge of dangerous tick bites does not mean it will continue throughout the entire season.
“It’s really hard to say that over the course of the year it’s going to be bad, but right now we’re seeing more tick bites being reported,” he said.
The CDC estimates that 31 million people in the U.S. are bitten by a tick each year and approximately 476,000 patients per year are treated for Lyme disease, the most common tickborne disease in the nation.
To prevent potential tick bites, the CDC recommends avoiding wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter. The agency also advises checking animals that go outside every day during warm weather.
Pastula said a tick should be removed before it attaches, but if it does attach, it is important to detach it within 24 hours to help prevent Lyme disease.
“There’s nothing fancy about this,” he said. “You go with tweezers or fingernails, and you lift (the tick) straight out.”
To do this, the CDC recommends grasping the tick as close to the skin as possible.
For more information:
Daniel Pastula, MD, MHS, can be reached at infectiousdisease@healio.com.
Sources/Disclosures
Source:
Press Release
References:
Disclosures:
Pastula reports no relevant financial disclosures.
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