State and local health departments reported a record number of cases of tick-borne diseases in 2017, , the most recent year a complete tally was taken, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cases of Lyme disease, anaplasmosis/ehrlichiosis, spotted fever/rickettsiosis (including Rocky Mountain spotted fever), babesiosis, tularemia and Powassan virus disease increased from a total of 48,610 reported cases in 2016 to 59,349 cases in 2017. Reported cases are a fraction of what’s believed to be out there among humans.
The reported cases also do not reflect the burgeoning number of tick-borne illnesses in companion and livestock animals. A recent study by the Companion Animal Parasite Council stated, “The results of this milestone study show increasing risk for Lyme disease in endemic areas and pinpoint regions in the U.S. where Lyme is spreading — areas not historically considered endemic.” Lyme and equine anaplasmosis are rapidly spreading in horses, as is tick-borne disease in cattle.