Ticks are a growing problem, no matter where you live

2026-06-30 · 13 min · 13 entities

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concepts 11

mentioned Science concept

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evidence rules-v5
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mentioned Life Sciences concept

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Life Sciences
mentioned Daily News concept

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Daily News
mentioned Nature concept

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evidence rules-v5
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mentioned Astronomy concept

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evidence rules-v5
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discusses News concept

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: News
discusses Science concept

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Science
discusses Life Sciences concept

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Life Sciences
discusses Daily News concept

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Daily News
discusses Nature concept

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Nature
discusses Astronomy concept

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Astronomy

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hosted by NPR company

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Episode description as stored

In the grand scheme of things, Lyme disease is a fairly new scientific discovery. It was first traced back to ticks in the late 70s and early 80s. The tick-borne illness can cause a rash, fever, pain, neurological complications, and even facial paralysis. It’s spread by only two of the nearly 50 species of ticks in the United States. Historically, most Lyme cases were limited to a small region, including the Great Lakes area and northeastern US. But thanks to changing temperatures, animal migration and shifts in land use , scientists say tick territory is expanding. So what does that mean for Lyme disease risk? And do you have to be worried about it in your own backyard? Interested in more episodes about pests and parasites? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org . Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. It includes perks like bonus episodes, early access, archive access, curated playlists and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy