A new report has quietly confirmed that a tick-borne illness is present in more parts of the country than many people realize. The illness is called soft tick relapsing fever, a bacterial infection that can cause cycles of high fever, chills, and headaches. The report found cases were identified in 11 different states between 2012 and 2021.
This finding is important because it shows the disease isn't confined to just a few areas. If you're in one of those states, it means the ticks that carry this bacteria are active there. The report doesn't tell us how many people got sick, how severe their illnesses were, or what the treatment outcomes were. It also doesn't compare this to past years, so we can't say if the problem is growing.
For now, this report serves as a basic map, confirming the disease's presence. It doesn't provide details on who is most at risk, what symptoms to watch for beyond fever, or how to best prevent it. The takeaway is awareness: this specific tick-borne fever is a confirmed reality in more places across the U.S.
