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Where emergency visits for tick bites are spiking in the US

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by Addy Bink - 04/28/26 4:51 PM ET

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by Addy Bink - 04/28/26 4:51 PM ET

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(NEXSTAR) – The weather is warming up, which, for many parts of the country, means tick season is settling in. Unfortunately, we’re off to a less-than-ideal start this year.

Emergency department visits for tick bites have reached the highest rate in nearly 10 years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced last week.

So far this month, 96 out of every 100,000 emergency department visits in the U.S. have been for tick bites. That’s roughly three times as many as were recorded in March, and well over the 68 out of 100,000 recorded in April 2025.

Last year, tick-related emergency department visits spiked at 129 per 100,000 in May, data shows.

It’s the Midwest and Northeast that have, so far, been the most impacted by tick bites, the CDC reports. In the Northeast, nearly 50 out of every 100,000 emergency visits are for tick bites. In the Midwest, it’s 33 out of every 100,000.

Incidence rates are below 20 per 100,000 in the Southeast, West, and South Central parts of the U.S.

This undated file photo provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a blacklegged tick, also known as a deer tick, a carrier of Lyme disease. (CDC via AP, File)

In Wisconsin, for example, experts told Nexstar’s WFRV that ticks have been becoming active earlier and earlier each year. This year, there’s been an increase in hosts that seems to be contributing to the rise in activity, 1000 Islands Environmental Center naturalist Brad Garrity said.

Ticks can carry serious diseases, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and alpha-gal syndrome, a condition that can lead to a meat allergy.

The best advice, the CDC and local health experts say, is to protect yourself from the ticks. That includes avoiding areas where ticks love to live, like grassy, bushy, or wooded areas. However, the CDC says people are more likely to find ticks in their own yards.

When heading outside, you can treat your clothing and gear with products that contain 0.5% permethrin. The EPA also maintains a list of approved insect repellents.

Before or immediately after coming in, check your clothes, gear, and pets for any ticks.

You can run clothes through a dryer on high heat for at least 10 minutes to kill off any ticks. If you need to wash them, the CDC recommends using hot water, not cold or medium temperatures.

You’ll also want to give yourself and your children a full-body check for any ticks. That includes in and around ears, in belly buttons, in hair, and along the extremities. You should also shower within two hours of coming inside. Doing so has been found to be effective in reducing the risk of getting Lyme disease.

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