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CDC reports increase in ER visits due to tick bites
By Shepherd Snyder
July 18, 2025 at 12:28 PM EDT
More people are going to the emergency room to treat tick bites this year, according to the CDC.
The agency says 87 people for every 100,000 ER visits have gotten treated for tick bites this month. That’s up from 49 such visits this time last year. Most of those cases are in the northeast, but there’s also a slight spike in the southeast U.S.
Experts say that could be because of warmer temperatures as a result of climate change.
The most obvious early signs for infection are rashes on the hands or feet, or rashes that look like targets. Other common symptoms for infection include fever, body aches and headache.
Joel Howard is a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at UK Healthcare. He says the worst symptoms happen after the first five days.
“If you're noticing a reaction within 48 hours of a tick bite, this is probably less concerning for an infection, and if that's not getting worse over the next few days, then one wouldn't necessarily need to seek care,” Howard said.
Howard says to avoid tall grass and shrubbery, wear long-sleeved clothes if possible and check for ticks after long periods outside. Tick bites should be removed as soon as possible.
“When you do remove it, you want to use fine tooth tweezers, and you want to grab it as close to the skin as possible, and you want to pull gently, so that you don't tear the head off and leave the head on,” Howard said.
He also says to take a picture of the tick to show to health care providers.
“This will help us understand what infections you may be at risk for, if we can actually see the tick that you were exposed to,” he said.
Howard says clothes can be treated with the insecticide permethrin, and bug spray like DEET or Picaridin can also be applied to the skin.
Health care providers typically prescribe doxycycline to treat tick infections. He says the antibiotic is safe for children.
“If your health care provider is afraid of prescribing doxycycline to kids less than eight, you can let them know that these concerns have been examined closely, and the American Academy of Pediatrics and other professional organizations recommend prescribing this antibiotic to any kid who would benefit from it,” Howard said.
The agency says 87 people for every 100,000 ER visits have gotten treated for tick bites this month. That’s up from 49 such visits this time last year. Most of those cases are in the northeast, but there’s also a slight spike in the southeast U.S.
Experts say that could be because of warmer temperatures as a result of climate change.
The most obvious early signs for infection are rashes on the hands or feet, or rashes that look like targets. Other common symptoms for infection include fever, body aches and headache.
Joel Howard is a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at UK Healthcare. He says the worst symptoms happen after the first five days.
“If you're noticing a reaction within 48 hours of a tick bite, this is probably less concerning for an infection, and if that's not getting worse over the next few days, then one wouldn't necessarily need to seek care,” Howard said.
Howard says to avoid tall grass and shrubbery, wear long-sleeved clothes if possible and check for ticks after long periods outside. Tick bites should be removed as soon as possible.
“When you do remove it, you want to use fine tooth tweezers, and you want to grab it as close to the skin as possible, and you want to pull gently, so that you don't tear the head off and leave the head on,” Howard said.
He also says to take a picture of the tick to show to health care providers.
“This will help us understand what infections you may be at risk for, if we can actually see the tick that you were exposed to,” he said.
Howard says clothes can be treated with the insecticide permethrin, and bug spray like DEET or Picaridin can also be applied to the skin.
Health care providers typically prescribe doxycycline to treat tick infections. He says the antibiotic is safe for children.
“If your health care provider is afraid of prescribing doxycycline to kids less than eight, you can let them know that these concerns have been examined closely, and the American Academy of Pediatrics and other professional organizations recommend prescribing this antibiotic to any kid who would benefit from it,” Howard said.