Lyme Disease Case Counts in the US Rose by Almost 70 Percent in 2022 Due to a Change in How It’s Reported

A blacklegged tick, also known as a deer tick, a carrier of Lyme disease. CDC via AP

NEW YORK—Lyme disease cases in the U.S. jumped nearly 70 percent in 2022, which health officials say is not due to a major increase of new infections but instead a change in reporting requirements.

Reported cases surpassed 62,000 in 2022, after averaging about 37,000 a year from 2017 through 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report released Thursday. Numbers for 2023 will be released later this year.