This year, people are seeking emergency care for tick bites in the highest level since 2017, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and reported cases of Lyme disease have continued to rise through the years.

Lyme disease is one of the most prevalent tick-borne diseases in New Jersey and nationwide. New Jersey had the fourth-highest Lyme disease case rates in the U.S. in 2023, according to the latest available data from the CDC. Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts were the only states with higher case rates.

A vector ecologist explains the complexities of tracking tick-borne diseases like Lyme in a climate-changed world