U.S. Experiences Record Tick-Bite Emergency Room Visits Amid Expanding Tick Activity
The United States has seen a significant increase in tick-bite-related emergency department visits this year, with August recording the highest rate since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began tracking data in 2017. As of August 23, there were 34 tick-bite visits for every 100,000 emergency department visits nationwide, following a record-setting April. This trend is particularly pronounced in Pennsylvania, where blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, are present in all 67 counties, and health officials have noted an increase in tick-bite-related emergency department visits across nearly all regions. Ticks are most active from April through August and again in October and November, remaining active during winter whenever temperatures rise above freezing. The geographic risk of tick-borne diseases is also expanding, with a recent CDC report identifying blacklegged ticks and disease-causing pathogens in western North Carolina, indicating the establishment of Lyme disease in parts o... 
