Midwest Seeing Surge in Tick Bites

INDIANA — According to the CDC, an estimated 31 million people are bitten by ticks each year, with most encounters taking place between April and October. But in 2026, emergency room visits began rising as early as March. Weekly ER trips for tick bites are also up in almost every U.S. region as of June 28, the online tick tracker shows. The midwest has seen almost double the cases of reported tick bites since 2021. Many more go unreported.Ticks carry pathogens that they then pass on to hum