The ticks you may find in your state, and the diseases they can carry

(NEXSTAR) — It’s been a gnarly year for ticks already in the U.S., with hospital visits spurred by tick bites reaching highs we haven’t seen in years. What that tick may spread to you, however, can vary based on where you live.

Lyme disease is likely the tick-borne disease you’re most familiar with, and rightfully so. There were more than 89,000 cases of Lyme disease reported to the CDC in 2023 alone, though health officials say recent estimates put that number as high as 476,000. The CDC cautions that some patients included in the higher estimates may have been treated for suspected lyme disease, but may not have actually had it.

Nearly every state has reported at least one case of Lyme disease, though the majority have been detected in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and throughout New England. The disease is primarily spread by the blacklegged tick (otherwise known as the deer tick) and the Western blacklegged tick.

Blacklegged ticks are capable of spreading multiple diseases, including Powassan virus, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and hard tick relapsing fever.

Anaplasmosis, caused by the bacteria A. phagocytophilum, can be deadly if left untreated, according to the CDC. Babesiosis causes flu-like symptoms in some people. While the blacklegged ticks can be found in many states, cases of both are more commonly reported in the Northeast and upper Midwest.

Powassan virus, which is on the rise in the U.S., has been reported in at least one resident in Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Three states have reported more than 80 total cases of Powassan: Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts.

Receiving more attention as of late is alpha-gal syndrome, which can make you allergic to red meat and other animal........

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