Officials issue warning amid concerning spread of dangerous disease in US region: 'There is a risk factor just going outdoors'

Erie County officials are sounding the alarm after documenting record Lyme disease cases for the third straight year, and experts reflect on how overheating climates are helping ticks spread into more areas and seasons.

What's happening?

Erie County has recorded new highs for Lyme disease each of the last three years, according to the Erie County Department of Health. The county saw 374 cases in 2023, 406 in 2024, and 426 so far this year as of Oct. 28. All unprecedented jumps are tied to warming winters and longer stretches of mild weather that allow ticks to stay active longer. 

What once required walking along forested trails to get bitten is now seemingly everywhere.  "There is a risk factor just going outdoors," said Dr. Vincent Proy of Saint Vincent Medical Group to Go Erie. "I had a patient with Lyme disease who never left the house except to get their mail."

Doctors say the surge has forced them to change long-standing protocols. Instead of gauging tick bites over the phone, many providers now bring patients in immediately to check for rashes and early symptoms, such as fatigue, chills, headaches, and joint pain.

Why is this concerning?

Warming winters and longer stretches of mild weather are giving ticks more time to breed and spread, keeping them active year-round. As a result, residents face a higher risk of infection, such as Lyme disease, even during seasons when ticks used to be dormant.

Tick-borne illnesses can have long-lasting effects. Left untreated, Lyme disease can spread to the heart and nervous system. Public health officials warn that if tick populations keep growing, public health systems may be stretched thin, and vulnerable groups could see increasing risks, as everyone faces higher medical costs and more missed work. 

This pattern mirrors other recent health trends tied to warming climates, such as the spread of West Nile virus and mosquito-borne illnesses into regions where they were once rare. 

What's being done about it?

Experts say earlier treatment remains the most reliable safeguard. "It's so important to treat Lyme disease during its early, acute phase," Dr. Proy emphasized. 

Local officials are urging residents to take precautions rather than avoid the outdoors entirely. That includes using insect repellent, wearing light-colored clothing, performing full-body tick checks on you and your pets, keeping grass trimmed, and reporting tick encounters to local labs. On a larger scale, health officials are urging more investment in tick surveillance data. 

Cities across the country are investing in better vector monitoring, habitat management, and public health education to slow the spread of tick-borne illnesses.

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