PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 28, 2025
Lyme disease cases are on pace to break records this year, as reported cases of the tick-borne disease have already reached nearly 2,000 in Maine. Through July 28, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention had reported 1,875 cases of Lyme disease, which is 20% higher than the same January-July time period in 2024, when there were 1,561 reported cases. Cases of anaplasmosis, the second-most common tick-borne disease that’s also transmitted by the deer tick, are also skyrocketing, with 890 cases reported so far in 2025, according to the Maine CDC. That’s 36% ahead of last year, when there were 655 by the end of July. Scientists, including researchers at MaineHealth, are currently testing the effectiveness of a proposed Lyme vaccine.