Tick Bites Are Hitting Record Highs Across the South — What You Need to Know Right Now

Published June 2026  |  Sources: CDC Tick Bite Tracker, Axios, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Fox News Health

If it feels like there are more ticks than ever this summer, you’re not imagining it. The CDC has officially confirmed that 2026 is shaping up to be one of the worst tick seasons in nearly a decade and the South is directly in the thick of it.

According to the CDC’s Tick Bite Tracker, emergency room visits for tick bites in April 2026 hit 104 per 100,000 ER visits — up from just 68 the previous April. That’s a more than 50 percent increase in a single year. The CDC’s own epidemiologists have been blunt: “Tick season is here and these tiny biters can make you seriously sick.”

The South Is a Prime Target

While the Northeast is currently seeing the highest raw numbers, health experts from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health are clear that the South faces its own serious and distinct threats. At a May 2026 media briefing, a researcher from South Carolina noted that ticks are expanding across the entire southern and southeastern United States — and that the South’s primary tick-borne dangers are Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Ehrlichiosis, both of which can be deadly if not treated quickly.

The lone star tick — the South’s most common and aggressive species — is also expanding its range northward. According to physicians interviewed by Fox News Digital, diseases carried by the lone star tick, including Ehrlichiosis and alpha-gal syndrome (a red meat allergy triggered by tick bites), are “appearing in regions where clinicians may not yet be thinking about them.” That means more people are getting sick before a diagnosis is even considered.

Diseases You Need to Know About

•       Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF): The deadliest tick-borne disease in North America. Despite the name, it is widespread across the South and Southeast. It can kill within days of symptom onset.

•       Ehrlichiosis: Most frequently reported from the southeastern and south-central U.S. Causes fever, fatigue, and dangerously low blood cell counts. The mortality rate for untreated cases is significant.

•       Alpha-Gal Syndrome: A potentially life-threatening red meat allergy triggered by lone star tick bites. Cases have been rising nationally and the tick driving it is most common in the South.

•       Lyme Disease: While less common in the South than the Northeast, cases are increasing as the blacklegged tick expands its range southward.

Warning Signs After a Tick Bite

If you or someone in your family has been outdoors in grassy, wooded, or brushy areas, watch for these symptoms in the days that follow:

•       Sudden fever, chills, or severe headache

•       Fatigue or muscle aches that feel flu-like

•       A rash, especially one that spreads or forms a bull’s-eye pattern

•       Nausea or vomiting

If any of these appear, contact a healthcare provider immediately. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in particular can progress within hours — don’t wait it out.

Protecting Your Home Starts Indoors

Ticks don’t just stay outside. They hitch rides inside on pets, clothing, and gear — and once in your home, they hide in carpet, furniture, and floor cracks. Treating your indoor spaces is just as important as what you do in the yard.