2026 is shaping up to be a banner year for ticks — and not in a good way. August ER visits for tick bites have already hit their highest rate since the CDC's tracker launched in 2017, clocking in at 34 visits per 100,000 total ER visits through August 23. That follows a record-breaking April, when rates hit 104 per 100,000 — up sharply from 68 in April 2025. Experts point to warmer-than-normal temperatures and climate change as key drivers, with ticks thriving in increasingly mild, humid conditions.

The surge isn't limited to the usual hotspots. In Connecticut — ground zero for Lyme disease — tick submissions through July were 38% above the 10-year average. A new CDC report also found blacklegged ticks and disease-causing pathogens in western North Carolina, signaling that Lyme disease is expanding into southern Appalachia.

By the Numbers:

• 34 August ER visits for tick bites per 100,000 total ER visits (through Aug. 23) — a record high since 2017
• 104 ER visits per 100,000 in April 2026, up from 68 in April 2025
• ~31 million Americans are bitten by ticks each year; ~476,000 are treated for Lyme disease annually
• Connecticut tick submissions through July were 38% above the 10-year average

Why it matters: Tick bites can transmit serious illnesses like Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and alpha-gal syndrome. With blacklegged ticks entering another peak period in October–November, the risk isn't going away — making prevention (long sleeves, insect repellent, tick checks) more important than ever.