Worsening Climate Change Driving Spread Of Lyme Disease

Emergency rooms across the country are seeing a spike in tick bite cases, according to new data from the CDC. Via ABC News:

July has already seen the highest number of tick-related ER visits since 2017, with the Northeast region reporting the most cases, the CDC said.

Young children and elderly adults appear particularly vulnerable, with those under 10 and over 70 years old having the highest rates of emergency room visits, according to the CDC.

For residents in the New York tristate area, the threat is particularly severe. The Fordham Tick Index, which monitors tick activity in southern New York, Connecticut and Northern New Jersey, currently rates the bite risk as "very high" – 9 out of 10 on its scale.