Maine saw a record-breaking number of tick-borne disease cases in 2024 for a second year in a row.
Between January and December, 3,218 cases of Lyme disease were reported, according to final figures the state released Thursday. Last year, 2,943 cases of that disease broke the previous record.
Higher numbers of Lyme and other diseases carried by ticks are seen alongside increasing habitat ranges for ticks in recent years that’s making it more difficult to work or play outside as warmer, wetter winters in Maine are allowing the ticks to stay more active and reproduce longer.
Known cases have been increasing in the Midcoast in recent years, particularly between Lincoln and Hancock counties, state data shows. Cases are also starting to appear farther north.
Lyme disease often is identified by a bullseye-shaped rash around the bite, and left untreated can cause long-term problems including arthritis, nerve pain, fatigue, heart palpitations and severe headaches. Bites from infected ticks can also transfer other diseases that can be fatal, especially in older people or those in poor health.
Anaplasmosis causes flu symptoms a week or two after the bite, and left untreated can cause respiratory and organ problems. Last year, 1,284 cases were reported, which was more than the 777 in 2023.
Babesiosis often goes unnoticed, but can cause fever, chills, fatigue, anemia and an enlarged liver and spleen. It killed a Waldo County woman this summer, one of 310 cases compared to 194 in 2023.
A few less common diseases have been reported here this year too, including hard tick relapsing fever and Powassan encephalitis, which killed a York County resident in June.
If you’re bitten by a tick, you can send the insect to be tested by the University of Maine for $20.
