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Lyme disease cases on the rise as weather warms up
Tick season is here, and with it comes a reported uptick in cases of Lyme disease.
CHICAGO - A new health warning is out as the weather warms up.
Tick season is here, and with it comes a reported uptick in cases of Lyme disease.
The CDC says Lyme disease has seen a more than 300 percent increase since the late 1990s to now, with about 35,000 cases officially reported each year in the U.S.
While they are most often found in the woods, they are now finding new places to survive — even in urban areas.
Experts with the Cleveland Clinic say climate change has also made the problem worse because ticks are more active in warm weather.
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"As a result, the ticks have moved inland, out of New England, away from the coasts, and into the Midwest," said Dr. Daniel Sullivan of the Cleveland Clinic. "Now as more areas are becoming more temperate, the Lyme disease is going to be more pervasive across all the United States."
There is some good news.
Drugmaker Moderna announced this week that it is developing a Lyme disease vaccine, but doctors say to prevent infection, you should always be checking for tick bites after spending time outside.