For decades, Lyme disease was understood by most Americans as an East Coast and Upper Midwest problem, something that happened in the forests of Connecticut, New York, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. That understanding is now outdated in a significant portion of the country.
Blacklegged ticks — the species that transmits Lyme disease — have expanded across Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio and are now being found in suburban parks, neighborhood green spaces, and backyards in major metro areas where residents and physicians alike may not yet be thinking about Lyme disease as a local risk.
