What happened
On August 13, 2026, the CDC’s journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) published a study from Biltmore Forest, a wooded town in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina. Residents there had raised concerns about rising tickborne illness, so a community task force teamed up with researchers from the University of South Carolina, UNC Chapel Hill and NC State. The CDC’s vector-borne disease lab tested the ticks.
From November 2024 to August 2025, the team collected ticks on residential properties in the town. Of 373 ticks collected, about 77% were blacklegged (deer) ticks, the species that spreads Lyme disease in the eastern United States.
- Lyme bacteria (Borrelia burgdorferi) were found in 19 of 48 adult blacklegged ticks tested, about 40%, and in 3 of 7 nymphs.
- Borrelia miyamotoi, a relapsing-fever type germ, was found in 2 adult ticks (about 4%).
- The strain of Anaplasma phagocytophilum that infects people was found in 4 adult ticks (about 8%).
- The germs that cause babesiosis (Babesia microti) and two other tickborne infections were not found in any tick.
- In a mailed survey and follow-up, 19 residents reported a past tickborne diagnosis, most often Lyme disease.
The authors say the adult tick infection rate is similar to rates in places long known for Lyme, like the Northeast, mid-Atlantic and upper Midwest. They suggest the area may be the leading edge of northern tick populations moving south. It may also be the southernmost detection so far of the human-infecting Anaplasma strain and of B. miyamotoi in blacklegged ticks.
What it means for you
- Lyme is not just a Northern disease. If you live in or visit the mountains of the Southeast, Lyme disease is possible. Tell your clinician about any tick bite or outdoor time, and about symptoms such as an expanding rash, fever or aches in the weeks after.
- Your own yard can matter. These ticks came from residential properties, not just parks or trails. Our tick-proof your yard guide covers practical steps.
- Other infections are on the radar. The report asks clinicians in the region to keep anaplasmosis and B. miyamotoi in mind as well as Lyme. Learn the basics on our anaplasmosis and Borrelia miyamotoi pages.
What it does not mean
- It does not mean 40% of tick bites cause Lyme. An infected tick usually has to stay attached for more than 24 hours to pass on Lyme bacteria, according to the CDC. Finding and removing ticks quickly lowers your risk. See how long a tick needs to be attached.
- It is one small town, not the whole South. The study covered a small area, with only 1 to 3 collection days each month. The authors also note it took place soon after Hurricane Helene.
- The human case counts are rough. Only 12.5% of surveyed households responded, and most diagnoses were self-reported. Just four people shared medical records.
- It is not a reason to panic. It is a reason for awareness, by residents and by local doctors.
What happens next
The authors call for wider blacklegged tick surveillance and pathogen testing across the southeastern United States, and for more awareness among primary care, urgent care and infectious disease clinicians. They also recommend the everyday basics: protective clothing, EPA-registered repellents and tick checks after time outdoors.
For your state’s picture, see Lyme disease in North Carolina. To learn the tick itself, read our blacklegged tick guide, and follow the prevention step on our How to beat Lyme hub.