Overview

• CDC data show tick bites in US ER visits peaked at 134 per 100,000 in May and remained at 74 per 100,000 in July, the highest rates since 2019.
• Experts attribute the surge to milder winters and changes in land use that expand tick habitats and lengthen their active season across multiple regions.
• Health authorities advise thorough tick checks after outdoor activities, prompt removal within 24–36 hours, and use of repellents and protective clothing to curb infection risk.
• Justin Timberlake’s Lyme diagnosis and remarks on its “relentlessly debilitating” effects have renewed public attention to the importance of early detection and treatment.
• In the UK, the Health Security Agency reported 1,581 laboratory-confirmed Lyme cases in 2024 and cautions that true figures may be higher.