MAINE PUBLIC • July 24, 2023
The data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s online tick tracker shows that, in the Northeast, visits to the Emergency Department for tick bites are up more than 30% from last year. This means people enjoying the outdoors need to be vigilant, experts say. “The best way to avoid getting sick is to just avoid getting bit by a tick in the first place,” said Dr. Grace Marx, medical director with the CDC's Division of Vector-borne Diseases. “Being aware when ticks are active, and taking the right steps to prevent tick bites in the first place, is really the way to go.”