"Tick season is ramping up faster than it has in years - and sending more Americans to the emergency room.
Cycles of high tick activity are coming earlier and staying later, experts previously told USA TODAY, thanks to factors including shorter seasons, warmer winters and even acorns.
This can be seen in data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Tick Bite Data Tracker, which tracks tick bite-related emergency room visits across the country. Weekly numbers are large for this time of year, according to the data, with about 114 out of every 100,000 emergency department visits nationwide attributed to tick bites during the last week of April. This is the highest rate since at least 2017, the CDC said.
With more ticks and more bites comes a higher risk of illness, such as Lyme disease, experts warn. Here's what you need to know to stay safe this summer, which includes not only protecting yourself, but also your pets."
Mary Walrath-Holdridge reports for USA TODAY May 9, 2026.
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