Lyme disease cases in the US surged by almost 70% in 2022, reaching over 62,000 reported cases, but health officials attribute this increase to a change in reporting requirements rather than a major rise in new infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that the shift in reporting methods, which now only requires a positive lab test for reporting cases in high-incidence states, may have contributed to the spike. Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne infection in the US, with the majority of cases occurring in the Northeast, Midwest, and mid-Atlantic states.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a warning about Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) after three deaths in California. RMSF is a tick-borne bacterial infection associated with dogs and is not spread from person to person. Symptoms include a non-itchy rash, fever, headache, confusion, decreased appetite, and more. Treatment involves antibiotics, and the CDC advises caution when traveling through Northern Mexico, where an outbreak is occurring, and checking for ticks to prevent infection.
An experimental drug is being developed to protect against Lyme disease by lacing the skin with a harmless but deadly-to-ticks drug, causing them to die before transmitting the bacteria. Trials have shown the drug to be safe, and if successful, it could be available by 2026. Lyme disease cases have been on the rise, with nearly 500,000 infections reported annually in the US. The new treatment could also potentially protect against other tick-borne diseases.
