Emergency room visits for tick bites are on the rise in the West, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In April, hospitals in western states, which extend from California to Colorado and as far north as Minnesota, saw 31 tick-related complaints for every 100,000 ER visits, according to the latest data from the CDC.
Nationally, ER visits to treat tick bites are at their highest level in almost a decade, with 71 per 100,000 trips to the ER, compared to an average of about 30 per 100,000 at this time of year.
This year has already seen an uptick from April 2025, when there were 22 tick-related complaints and April 2024, when there were 20, according to the data.
Wildlife officials in Northern California issued a tick advisory on Tuesday, warning hikers to be wary as they venture into the East Bay Regional Parks in the next several months.
The Northeast is seeing the most tick bite visits, followed by the Midwest, Southwest, West and South Central regions, respectively.
Ticks carry a plethora of diseases. According to the CDC, these blood-sucking insects are responsible for 90% of all vector-borne diseases.
They include Lyme disease, typical in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions; Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a problem nationwide; anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis, which are common in the eastern and southern U.S.; Powassan virus, common in the Northeast and Great Lakes region; and babesiosis, primarily found in the Northeast and upper Midwest.
Ticks are also responsible for Alpha-gal syndrome, which causes a sudden and unexpected allergic reaction to meat and dairy products. The vector is carried by the Lone Star tick, which is widely distributed throughout eastern states and is expanding in the Northeast, the Southeast and the Midwest.
Most people won't notice if they have a tick bite and are symptomless early on. Without knowing if they've been bitten, people can't get treatment, and therefore may find out they have the disease only after it reaches a more serious stage.
Tick bite season typically peaks in May and runs through the fall.
“We're running well above historic average and even well above last year,” Dr. John J. Halperin, chair of the New Jersey Stroke Care Advisory Panel and member of the department of neuroscience at Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center in New Jersey, who partly focuses on Lyme disease, told ABC News.
“The ticks have started a little earlier. There seems to be a lot of them. A lot of people are going to the emergency room,” Halperin continued. “It’s not entirely clear how much of this is increased recognition, and as people become more aware of this, more are going to the emergency room. But there seems to be a clear increase in the number of ticks out there.”
Adult ticks are just under the size of a sesame seed, while males are about 2 millimeters. Smaller versions include the nymph and larva, which measure at about 1 millimeter and less, about the size of a poppy seed.
"Most ticks can’t fly or jump," East Bay Regional Park District officials said. "They wait on the tips of grasses and in shrubs along well-used paths. With their front legs outstretched, they easily climb aboard unsuspecting hosts when they brush by."
To prevent tick bites, the CDC advises:
Know where ticks live. Ticks hang out in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas—and even your backyard.
Avoid high-risk areas. Skip tall grass, leaf litter, and dense brush when possible—and walk in the center of trails.
Use insect repellent. Apply EPA-registered repellents with ingredients like DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
Treat your clothes and gear. Use products with 0.5% permethrin on clothing, boots, and camping gear — or buy pre-treated items.
Dress to protect. Wear long sleeves and pants when possible to reduce exposed skin.
Check your clothes after being outside. Ticks can hitch a ride indoors—remove them and tumble dry clothes on high heat to kill any hidden ones.
Shower soon after coming inside. Showering within two hours can help wash off ticks and reduce disease risk.
Do a full-body tick check. Look carefully in hidden spots like:
Check pets and gear. Ticks can ride in on dogs, backpacks, and clothing—inspect everything after outdoor time.
Make your yard less tick-friendly. Reduce tick habitat by:
If bitten by a tick, officials recommend using tweezers to pry it away, grabbing it as close to the skin's surface as possible, ideally by the head, and pulling upward with even pressure.
Avoid twisting, jerking or trying to burn the tick. Remove any leftover mouth parts left behind with some type of card, wash hands and the tick bite and watch for symptoms, officials said.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Across California Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.