Weekly Tick Bite-Related ER Visits Reach Decade High Across US

Maryland hospitals and urgent care centers also seeing an uptick in tick-related cases.

Apr. 18, 2026 at 1:22am

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A highly detailed, translucent X-ray photograph revealing the intricate internal structure of a tick, with its limbs and body glowing against a dark background to illustrate the unseen threats posed by these disease-carrying insects.An X-ray view of a tick's internal anatomy highlights the hidden dangers these small pests pose to public health as their activity increases.Baltimore Today

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, weekly emergency room visits for tick bites have reached their highest levels in nearly a decade across the United States. Some hospitals and urgent care centers in Maryland are also reporting an increase in tick-related cases, with doctors attributing the trend to warmer weather leading to earlier tick activity.

Why it matters

Tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease can have serious health consequences if not properly treated, so the rise in tick-related ER visits is concerning for public health officials. Understanding the factors behind this trend, such as climate change and changes in tick populations, can help inform prevention efforts and ensure people seek timely medical care.

The details

The CDC's most recent data shows weekly ER visits for tick bites have reached 71 per 100,000 people nationwide, compared to 30 per 100,000 during the same period last year. The Northeast region, including Maryland, is reporting the highest number of visits. Doctors at Maryland medical facilities say they are seeing an earlier onset of tick activity due to warmer weather, leading to more people seeking treatment for tick bites and potential Lyme disease exposure.

  • The CDC's most recent data shows the highest weekly ER visits for tick bites since 2017.
  • Doctors in Maryland are seeing an 'uptick' in tick-related cases earlier in the season compared to previous years.

The players

Dr. Jonathan Thierman

President of ExpressCare Urgent Care Centers in Maryland.

Emily Haley

Lead physician assistant for the emergency department at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center.

Dr. Hannah Goldberg

Internal medicine and emergency medicine physician at Mercy Medical Center.

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What they’re saying

“We are definitely seeing an uptick in tick bites. We are seeing a whole bunch of early tick bites, prematurely early for this season… We've seen 160 cases of tick bites that look like they may have been Lyme disease (cases), and so we prophylactically treat all of those tick bites as if they are Lyme disease.”

— Dr. Jonathan Thierman, President of ExpressCare Urgent Care Centers

“I think anecdotally, we're seeing more people are coming in with tick-related things, especially because of the weather. We're seeing more people that have been out and about. We're definitely seeing an uptick in terms of skin manifestations and people coming in for all bite-related things that we would expect to see later in the season.”

— Emily Haley, Lead physician assistant for the emergency department at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center

“The earlier onset of hotter weather is going to make it more likely that ticks affect us earlier in the year, and really throughout the year.”

— Dr. Hannah Goldberg, Internal medicine and emergency medicine physician at Mercy Medical Center

What’s next

Doctors advise that individuals should first consult their primary care physician for tick bites rather than going straight to the emergency room, unless they have concerning symptoms like fever that has not improved.

The takeaway

The rise in tick-related ER visits across the US, including in Maryland, highlights the need for increased public awareness and prevention efforts around tick-borne illnesses. Warmer weather leading to earlier tick activity is a concerning trend that requires close monitoring and proactive measures to protect public health.