Visits To The ER For Tick Bites Already Above Normal In Illinois

If you thought last year’s tick season in Illinois felt especially bad, you may want to brace yourself because 2026 is already shaping up to be worse.

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows emergency room visits for tick bites are running significantly higher than normal across much of the country, and the Midwest is right near the top of the list. In fact, weekly ER visit rates are the highest they’ve been for this time of year since 2017.

That’s not just a small bump, either. In the Midwest, tick-related ER visits have surged dramatically in just a few months. Numbers have jumped from just a handful per 100,000 people in January to well over 100 per 100,000 in April. And nationally, tick bites are now accounting for more than double the typical number of ER visits for this time of year.

So, What's Behind The Spike In Tick-Related ER Visits?

Experts point to a mix of factors, including a milder winter and an earlier, warmer spring. Those conditions allow ticks to survive and become active sooner. That means people in Illinois and across the Midwest are encountering them earlier than they normally would and more often than usual.

Health officials in Illinois are already urging residents to be extra cautious, especially when spending time in wooded areas, tall grass, or even their own backyards. Ticks in the region can carry a variety of illnesses, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and even alpha-gal syndrome, a condition that can trigger an allergy to red meat.

Some Ways To Keep Yourself Safe From Ticks

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), here are some things you can do to prevent tick bites:

• Walk in the center of trails. Avoid wooded, bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
• Wear light-colored clothing to make ticks easier to find. Tuck long pants into socks and boots.
• Apply an EPA-registered insect repellent containing 20% DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus according to label directions. The EPA has a search tool that can help you find the product that best suits your needs.
• Conduct full-body tick checks on family members (underarms, ears, belly button, behind knees, between legs, waist, hair and scalp) every two to three hours. Also check any gear or pets taken on outings.
• To kill ticks after being outdoors, put clothes in the dryer on high for 10 minutes (or one hour for damp clothes).
• Bathe or shower within two hours after coming indoors.
• If you find a blacklegged tick on you that may have been attached for more than three days, then seek medical attention to decide if you need an antibiotic to prevent Lyme disease.
• It is often helpful to keep the tick for species identification. Place the tick in rubbing alcohol or in a sealed bag/container to bring to your healthcare provider or local health department for submission to IDPH.  A submission form can be found HERE.