With all the rain lately in the Chicago area, hospital systems such as Northwestern Medicine reported an increase in patients getting sick from ticks.This comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the summer of 2025 is shaping up to be one of the worst tick seasons in years.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported a near record level of tick-bite related emergency room visits this summer, marking the highest number of reports since 2019.

Ticks live in North Carolina year-round, and can transmit serious illnesses such as Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia. With the recent spike in tick-related emergency department visits, here's what N.C. residents should know about the tiny arachnids, the diseases they carry and more.

Data from the CDC shows 2025 has been the busiest year for tick related emergency room visits in the Midwest. There have been 84 tick bites out of every 100,000 emergency room visits in the Midwest. That is up from 2024, when there were only 56 tick bites out of every 100,000 emergency room visits.

Pam Cook talks with Fox Medical Team's Dr. Mike about why we are seeing more ticks, who is most vulnerable to tick bites, and the important things you should know, to try to prevent Lyme Disease.