NY Tick Surge Sparks Lyme Alarms in Rural Counties

ALBANY, N.Y. -- The New York State Department of Health has issued urgent alerts as the 2026 tick season kicks off with unprecedented ferocity, recording tick bites at the highest levels in a decade. In Ontario County, Lyme disease cases skyrocketed from 31 in 2020 to 337 in 2025, an 11-fold increase that underscores the escalating crisis in rural upstate regions. State researchers, led by Department of Health scientist Melissa Prusinki, conducted drag testing for ticks in Ballston Spa's woods on Sunday, hunting for Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria behind Lyme disease, which strikes more than 20,000 New Yorkers yearly.

Lyme isn't alone: Ticks in New York's Capital Region and southeastern counties, including schoolyards and suburban parks, carry multiple pathogens like those causing anaplasmosis, babesiosis and Powassan virus, with coinfection rates hitting 36% in some 2017-2018 samples. Overall, 40% to 73% of Ixodes scapularis ticks tested positive for at least one agent, highest in the Lower Hudson Valley. Deer populations exacerbate the spread, ferrying ticks across counties as they roam wooded areas popular for hiking and recreation.

Preventive measures are critical amid national trends showing Lyme diagnoses up 60% in rural U.S. areas from 2016-2021, peaking in June and July when rural claims dominate. New York officials urge residents to use DEET repellents, wear long sleeves and pants, tuck pants into socks, and perform daily tick checks after outdoor activities in grassy or brushy spots. Early detection via testing remains key, as Lyme can lead to severe morbidity if untreated.