Michigan health officials report Lyme disease cases climbed more than 350% in five years, from 471 in 2020 to over 2,000 in 2025, making the state a CDC-defined high-incidence area. Neighboring Ohio is expected to reach that threshold next year. The trend is tied to warmer weather and shorter winters, which help tick populations grow and spread into new territory.
The story behind the numbers is a 21-year-old marathon runner who went a month without a diagnosis. By the time doctors identified Lyme disease, the infection had reached his heart. He developed Lyme carditis and went into cardiac arrest when his heart paused for roughly 15 seconds. He survived, but his case is a reminder that early treatment is what separates a rough couple of weeks from a lifelong condition.
Here on the Suncoast, local Lyme risk is far lower than in the upper Midwest, but plenty of residents and seasonal visitors travel between the two. The CDC’s guidance works anywhere: use DEET repellent, wear long clothing on trails, do a full-body tick check afterward, and remove any attached tick promptly with fine tweezers. Watch for a rash or flu-like symptoms in the weeks that follow.
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