Weekly visits to emergency rooms for tick bites are at the highest level since at least 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
During the most recent week, 71 per 100,000 ER visits were due to tick bites, compared to the average of about 30 per 100,000 ER visits for this time of year, more than double what is typical.
Currently, the Northeast is reporting the most ER visits for tick bites, followed by the Midwest, Southeast, West and South Central regions, respectively, CDC data shows.
May is typically when ER visits for tick bites peak each year, and it remains unclear if the upward trend will continue.
Dr. John J. Halperin, chair of the New Jersey Stroke Care Advisory Panel and member of the department of neuroscience at Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center in New Jersey — who partly focuses on Lyme disease — told ABC News it’s possible that the monthly April average will level out and match prior years.
“Spring and early summer are prime time for getting bitten by the locally youngest form of ticks, which are the main ones who get us humans,” he said. “So, seeing a lot of them certainly means an increased risk.”
Tick-borne diseases have been on the rise in recent years and scientists suspect it is partly linked to climate change, which has caused shorter winters, earlier springs and hotter summers.
The CDC recommends that people avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter and stay in the center of trails when hiking. The agency also recommends using Environmental Protection Agency-registered insect repellents containing at least 20% DEET, 20% picaridin as the listed active ingredient or other approved ingredients, but to avoid use for children under the age of 3.