Tickborne disease cases continue to climb

State and local health departments reported a record 59,349 tickborne disease cases in 2017, 22 percent more than in 2016, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cases of Lyme disease, anaplasmosis/ehrlichiosis, spotted fever rickettsiosis (including Rocky Mountain spotted fever), babesiosis, tularemia and Powassan virus disease all increased, based on data from 17 reporting states. The reason for the increase is unclear, though factors such as temperature, rainfall, humidity and animal host populations can affect the number, the agency said. According to a CDC report in May, illnesses from mosquito, tick and flea bites have more than tripled since 2004 to more than 96,000 a year.