Overview
- In April, CDC tracking shows about 71 emergency visits for tick bites per 100,000 people, more than double the rate at this time last year, with the Northeast reporting the heaviest activity.
- Michigan’s surveillance reports 3,379 Lyme disease cases in 2025, up from under 2,300 in each of the prior three years, with at least 246 cases already logged in 2026.
- State officials say most Michigan counties now carry a known Lyme risk, and residents have submitted more than 200 ticks this year for identification and testing.
- Doctors urge people to call a primary care provider for most bites, use repellents with DEET or picaridin, do full-body tick checks, and remove attached ticks quickly since transmission often requires roughly 24 hours.
- A new Lyme vaccine candidate from Pfizer and Valneva is in late-stage trials and, according to the companies, prevented more than 70% of cases in a phase 3 study as they prepare findings for regulators.