Experts at SUNY’s Center for Vector-Borne Diseases are expecting a tough tick season. They say they’ve already seen a lot of early-season tick activity, despite the cold winter and spring.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's tick bite tracker shows that emergency room visits for tick bites in April are the highest they've been this time of year since 2017. According to the data, the Northeast is seeing the highest rates of ER visits for tick bites in comparison to other parts of the country.
So far this year, more than a third of the ticks that have come into SUNY's Tick Lab are carrying a disease.
In the North Country, Lyme disease is still the most common tick-borne illness. But St. Lawrence County Public Health Director Erin Streiff said others are becoming more common.
"We are seeing trends of more diagnoses of anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis and babesiosis, which are other tick-borne diseases," Streiff said.
Climate change is increasing the chances of getting a tick-borne illness. Ticks thrive in a warmer and wetter environment. It's leading to a longer tick season and allowing tick populations to expand into new regions and bring new diseases, according to Boston University.
Between 2024 and 2025, the number of ticks submitted for testing at the SUNY lab increased by 145%.
A lot of that has to do with education. The rise in tick-borne disease diagnoses also comes as people become increasingly aware of symptoms and testing, too, Streiff said.
As these illnesses become more common locally, more doctors are starting to recognize the distinct symptoms between them, Streiff said.
"They're not all treated exactly the same way, and so if someone is having any sort of persistent malaise and fever, we really encourage people to talk to their healthcare providers and get tested not just for Lyme but for some other potential infections," she said.
The best way to prevent a tick bite is by taking some proactive steps, Streiff said. Before going into the woods, tuck your pants into your socks, put on EPA-registered insect repellent, like DEET or picardin, or wear clothes that have been pre-treated with permethrin.
"When someone comes in from being outside, ideally (they are) changing clothes, washing the old clothes, showering if possible, doing a skin check," Streiff said.
If you do find a tick bite, it’s important to remove it right away, Streiff said. Use tweezers and get as close to the skin as possible. Kill the tick using rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.
Then, make sure to keep an eye on the bite over the next 30 days, and get in touch with your doctor if you get a rash or flu-like symptoms.