Logo
US NewsUS News

New Yorkers have reason to be ticked off.

Cases of Lyme disease have jumped nearly 12 percent in 2014 compared with the year before — up a staggering 138 percent from a decade earlier, according to an advisory released Wednesday by the city’s Department of Health.

Also on the rise is anaplasmosis, another tick-borne disease that can cause fever, chills and a change in mental state. It was up about 39 percent last year compared with 2013.

Other tick-borne illnesses declined. Cases were highest in Manhattan, even if there’s little exposure to ticks there.

“Most cases reported a history of travel outside the city,” the agency noted in the advisory, which urges doctors to keep their eyes peeled and report all cases of tick-borne illnesses.

At least some New Yorkers weren’t bugging out.

“It won’t stop me from coming to parks,” said one 72-year-old man in Central Park. “I’ll just remember to check for ticks when I get home now.”

Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy