HILLSBORO, Ohio — Highland County has already recorded 23 cases of Lyme disease in 2026, and the tick-borne illness is on pace to continue a multiyear climb after cases hit a record high of 35 in 2025, according to the Highland County Health Department.
Before 2022, the county typically logged fewer than 10 Lyme disease cases a year, the health department said, citing case totals of 8, 5, 9, 4 and 5 from 2017 through 2021. Case counts jumped in 2022 and have stayed elevated since, with 19 cases in 2022, 19 in 2023, 20 in 2024 and the record 35 in 2025, the department said.
The health department said the rising numbers are a reminder that tick activity does not end when summer does. Adult blacklegged ticks, the primary carriers of Lyme disease, remain active through the fall and even on warm winter days, the department said in a social media post, urging hunters, hikers, gardeners and pet owners to keep taking precautions as the season changes.
Officials recommended using an EPA-registered insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus, and treating clothing and gear with permethrin. People spending time in wooded or grassy areas should wear long sleeves and pants and tuck pants into socks, the department said.
The health department also urged residents to check themselves, their children and their pets for ticks after being outdoors, shower soon after coming inside, and remove any attached tick promptly with fine-tipped tweezers.
Anyone who develops a fever, rash, fatigue or body aches in the weeks after a tick bite should contact a healthcare provider, the department said. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick, and early treatment with antibiotics is generally effective, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Highland County Health Department.
