Illinois And The Midwest See Surge In Tick Bite Related ER Visits

According to numbers from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 31 million Americans are bitten by ticks every year. Breaking that down evenly amongst the 50 states, that means Illinois residents are bitten by ticks more that 620,000 times annually...give or take a few hundred thousand.

The CDC also points out that emergency room visits due to tick bites are way up from previous years (we're at a 10-year high this spring and summer), and that tick-related diseases like Lyme disease (the most common tick-related disease) are definitely on the rise throughout the country, Illinois included.

How many Americans are diagnosed with Lyme disease each year? The CDC says that number is nearly 500,000.

The Two Age Groups In Illinois And Throughout The Midwest That Are Seeing The Most Tick-Related ER Visits Are Kids (0-9 Years) And Seniors (70-79 Years)

According to Patch.com:

Following 20 cases in March, the Midwest has seen the following through the rest of the spring and into the summer:

• April — 82 cases
• May — 197 cases
• June — 183 cases
• July — 132 cases through Friday

Nationally from Jan. 1 to July 6 of this year, 447 ER visits per 100,000 have been for tick bites, according to the CDC’s tick bite data tracker. That compares to 509 per 100,000 visits in all of 2024. According to the data, 116 per 100,000 emergency room visits in June were for tick bites. U.S. emergency rooms haven’t seen this level of tick-related visits during June since 2019.

Here In Illinois, We've Got 13 Different Species Of Tick, Which Is Far Too Many For My Liking

I guess the good news is that even though we have 13 different species of tick in Illinois, only around six of those of regularly seen by human beings. According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), these are the tick species you're most likely to encounter:

1. American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis)

2. Brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus)

3. Black-legged or deer tick (Ixodes scapularis)

4. Gulf Coast tick (Amblyomma maculatum)

5. Lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum)

6. Winter tick (Dermacentor albipictus)

It's Hard To Believe That Something That Small Could Be So Dangerous--But They Are

It's not like they'll drain you of your entire blood supply, like a tiny little vampire. It's what happens when they're feeding on you or your pet. While a tick feeds, it can also transmit any diseases it may be carrying directly into the bloodstream of the host. They can also jump from host to host.

According to TurfCareOnline.com, here's what Illinois' most common ticks can transmit to you, its host:

American Dog Tick: Also known as the wood tick, this is the most common tick in Illinois. Most active in April through June, the American dog tick has been known to transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever and ehrlichiosis.

Lone Star Tick: The Lone Star tick is a small (1/8 an inch long), brown tick found mostly in southern Illinois. Active in April through July, the Lone Star tick can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever as well as other bacterial infections.

Blacklegged Tick: Known as the deer tick, this is an active tick reddish-brown in color and growing to 1/8 an inch in length.  It is known to transmit Lyme disease and ehrlichiosis to humans.

Brown Dog Tick: Also known as the kennel tick, this species only infects dogs. It is not usually found outdoors in Illinois; rather, it is transmitted indoors from dog to dog, like at a kennel or breeder.