CDC Is Now Warning About Ticks Spreading Into these States This Summer
Ticks are showing up in more places this summer, and the CDC says the shift is not just seasonal. Health officials are warning that several species tied to serious illnesses are expanding their range across parts of the United States.
That means people in some states may face a higher tick bite risk than they did even a few years ago. The concern is especially high during late spring and summer, when nymph and adult ticks are active and more Americans are outside hiking, gardening, camping, and traveling.
What the CDC is warning about this summer
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been tracking changes in where medically important ticks are found, including blacklegged ticks, lone star ticks, Gulf Coast ticks, and western blacklegged ticks. Those species can carry pathogens that cause Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and alpha-gal syndrome, a red meat allergy linked to lone star tick bites.
According to CDC surveillance and state health reporting, blacklegged ticks have continued to expand in parts of the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast. Lone star ticks, once concentrated more heavily in the Southeast, are now being reported farther north and west. Public health officials say that spread has been building for years, but summer travel and outdoor activity increase the chances that more people will encounter them now.
The CDC has also warned that tickborne diseases are rising overall in the United States. Tickborne illnesses make up the majority of vector-borne disease cases reported nationally, and Lyme disease remains the most commonly reported vector-borne illness in the country. Officials say the public should not assume tick risk exists only in heavily wooded areas because ticks can also be found in tall grass, brush, leaf litter, and even suburban yards.
For travelers and families, the message is simple. If you are spending time outdoors in newly affected areas, prevention steps matter more than ever. That includes using EPA-registered insect repellents, wearing long sleeves and pants when possible, doing tick checks after outdoor activity, and removing attached ticks quickly.
Which states are seeing more tick activity
The CDC does not issue one fixed list of “new tick states” each summer, but federal and state maps show clear expansion patterns. Blacklegged ticks have become established in more counties across states including Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and parts of the Dakotas, according to recent CDC and state surveillance updates. In the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, they remain widespread and continue to move within counties where they were previously less common.
Lone star ticks are also drawing fresh attention. State and university researchers have documented northward spread into places including New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and even farther into parts of the Midwest. Their spread matters because lone star ticks are aggressive human biters and can transmit ehrlichiosis, tularemia, and Heartland virus, while also being associated with alpha-gal syndrome.
In the Southeast, Gulf Coast ticks have expanded beyond coastal areas and have been detected more often inland. Western blacklegged ticks remain a concern along the Pacific Coast, especially in California, Oregon, and Washington, where they can transmit the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. The exact local risk can vary sharply by county, which is why officials often urge residents to check state and local health alerts instead of assuming risk is uniform across an entire state.
Experts say warmer winters, changing land use, growing deer populations, and movement of wildlife hosts have all helped ticks survive and spread. More people are also living and recreating near wooded edges, where human contact with ticks is more likely.
Why the spread matters for travelers and families
The biggest issue is that people may not realize their routine summer plans now come with a different health risk. A weekend at a cabin, a roadside stop at a park, or a backyard cleanup can lead to exposure in areas where many residents did not once think much about ticks. That can delay prevention, and in some cases, delay diagnosis if symptoms show up later.
Lyme disease often begins with fever, fatigue, headache, and sometimes a bull’s-eye rash, though not every patient gets the classic rash. Other tickborne diseases can move faster and become severe if treatment is delayed. Rocky Mountain spotted fever, for example, can be deadly if not treated early, and ehrlichiosis can cause fever, muscle aches, and confusion, especially in older adults or people with weakened immune systems.
Children, hikers, campers, dog owners, landscapers, and people who work outdoors often face a higher chance of tick exposure. Pets can also carry ticks into homes, which is why veterinarians often urge preventive medications during peak season. For travelers, the challenge is that symptoms may start days after a trip, making it easy to overlook a bite that happened out of state.
Public health experts say awareness is one of the best tools available. If people know ticks are active in a destination, they are more likely to dress for protection, use repellent, and check themselves and children before heading indoors.
What people should do to protect themselves
The CDC recommends avoiding direct contact with tall grass, brush, and leaf litter when possible. Walk in the center of trails, use repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, or 2-undecanone, and treat clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin. Those basic steps can sharply cut the odds of a bite.
After spending time outdoors, people should check their body carefully, especially under the arms, around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, and in the hair. Showering within 2 hours of coming indoors may help wash off unattached ticks and makes it easier to do a full check. Clothes should be tumble-dried on high heat for at least 10 minutes to kill ticks that may be hiding in fabric.
If a tick is attached, the CDC says to remove it with fine-tipped tweezers by grasping as close to the skin’s surface as possible and pulling upward with steady, even pressure. Do not twist, crush, burn, or smother the tick with petroleum jelly. After removal, clean the area with soap and water or rubbing alcohol and watch for symptoms over the following days and weeks.
Doctors say early treatment can make a major difference, especially for bacterial infections such as Lyme disease and ehrlichiosis. Anyone who develops fever, rash, fatigue, joint pain, or flu-like symptoms after a possible tick bite should contact a health care provider and mention recent outdoor exposure or travel.
The bigger picture behind the summer warning
The CDC’s warning reflects a broader public health trend rather than a single sudden outbreak. Over the past two decades, U.S. officials have repeatedly reported rising numbers of tickborne disease cases and wider tick distribution. Researchers say the changes are driven by a mix of climate patterns, habitat shifts, host animal movement, and better recognition of disease by doctors and health departments.
For the average American, the practical takeaway is not to panic but to update old assumptions. States once seen as low risk may now have hot spots, and county-by-county changes can happen quietly over time. That matters during the busiest travel months, when families head to lakes, campgrounds, national parks, and rural vacation spots where tick habitat is common.
Officials say the best response is a routine one. Use repellent, wear protective clothing, check for ticks, protect pets, and pay attention to symptoms after outdoor activity. Those simple habits are now part of summer safety in a growing share of the country.
As health agencies continue to map where ticks are spreading, the warning is likely to become a familiar part of warm-weather guidance. This summer, though, the message is landing with extra urgency in states where the risk is no longer just next door. It is already here.
