INDIANA — According to the CDC, an estimated 31 million people are bitten by ticks each year, with most encounters taking place between April and October. But in 2026, emergency room visits began rising as early as March. Weekly ER trips for tick bites are also up in almost every U.S. region as of June 28, the online tick tracker shows. The midwest has seen almost double the cases of reported tick bites since 2021. Many more go unreported.
Ticks carry pathogens that they then pass on to humans by biting into their skin and feeding on their blood. An untreated tick bite can lead to the development of one of nearly 20 different human diseases in the U.S., the most common of which is Lyme disease — about 476,000 patients are treated annually, according to the CDC. However, another tick-borne infection that has been on the rise is Alpha-gal syndrome, which causes people to experience a serious allergic reaction after they eat red meat or other animal products that contain the sugar molecule alpha-gal. It is most commonly associated with the lone star species of tick distributed throughout the Northeastern, Southern and Midwestern United States.
Prevention of tick bites include chemical sprays such as permethrin on clothing and classic bug repellents on skin to keep ticks away. It’s also a good idea to wear long, light-colored clothing when spending time in forests and other highly vegetated areas where ticks are abundant. Also inspect pets regularly for ticks if they spend any amount of time outside.
If you find a tick, the proper response is to first quickly remove the tick with tweezers by pinching and pulling it up in a vertical motion, then disinfecting the area and monitoring for signs of illness. Lyme disease symptoms can begin 3-30 days after an infected tick bit, with flu-like fever, chills, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes. There is also a bulls-eye rash in most cases. If left untreated, Lyme disease can cause neurological issues and joint inflammation. In early stages, it can be treated with a course of antibiotics.