Two significant public health data points emerged in spring 2026 that deserve attention as summer begins. One is a surveillance signal: emergency department visits for tick bites rose 25 percent in April 2026 compared to the same month last year, an early indicator of what may be a record tick-borne disease season. The other is a long-term clinical finding: a 23-year randomized trial of 100,000 adults confirmed that a single sigmoidoscopy provides lasting protection against colorectal cancer in men for more than two decades.
Both findings carry immediate practical implications for summer health decisions.
Tick Bite ER Visits Are Up 25 Percent — What That Tells Us
CDC data cited at a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health media briefing on May 5, 2026 confirmed a more than 25 percent jump in emergency department visits for tick bites in April 2026 compared to April 2025. Public health researchers called it a strong early-season signal.
Lyme disease — the most common tick-borne illness — is confirmed in more than 89,000 people per year in CDC surveillance, but researchers estimate the true burden is closer to 500,000 annually because of persistent underdiagnosis. The disease is expanding geographically: deer tick populations are now well-established in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan — states where Lyme was once rare.
Early Lyme disease is treated with a short course of oral antibiotics and is highly effective when caught early. Late-stage Lyme disease — which can involve joint damage, heart rhythm disturbances, and neurological problems — is far harder to treat and may produce persistent symptoms even after antibiotic courses are complete.
The practical upshot for summer 2026: tick prevention is more important than usual, and tick bites deserve more prompt medical attention than they received in prior years.
Prevention reminders: Use EPA-registered repellent (DEET 20–30%, picaridin, or IR3535), wear long sleeves and pants in wooded or tall grass areas, shower within two hours of outdoor time, and perform a full-body tick check after all outdoor activities. If you find an attached tick, remove it promptly with fine-tipped tweezers — then contact a clinician. Do not wait for the classic bull's-eye rash, which is absent in a meaningful share of cases.
A Single Sigmoidoscopy Protects Against Colon Cancer for 23 Years — What the Trial Shows
A randomized controlled trial published May 12, 2026 in Annals of Internal Medicine — the NORCCAP trial from Norway — followed 100,210 adults aged 50 to 64 for 23 years after a single flexible sigmoidoscopy screening. Men who received the one-time screening were 28 percent less likely to develop colorectal cancer and 37 percent less likely to die from it.
This is the longest follow-up data ever reported from a sigmoidoscopy screening trial. Previous data had confirmed 15-year protection. The NORCCAP trial extends the confirmed window to 23 years — suggesting that one procedure, one afternoon, in your early 50s may provide meaningful protection through your 70s.
Women in the trial showed more modest benefit, likely because sigmoidoscopy examines the lower colon and women develop a higher proportion of cancers in the right (proximal) colon, which sigmoidoscopy cannot visualize.
Why this matters right now: More than 150,000 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this year, and approximately 53,000 will die. When caught early, survival exceeds 90 percent. When caught late, survival drops to approximately 15 percent. An estimated 1 in 3 Americans between 45 and 75 are not up to date on colorectal cancer screening — the population for whom this finding is most directly relevant.
What to do: If you are between 45 and 75 and have not been screened for colorectal cancer, call your primary care provider and ask about your options — including sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, and stool-based tests. Sigmoidoscopy requires no sedation, minimal bowel preparation, and no day off work for recovery. For people who have avoided colonoscopy specifically, this 23-year data makes sigmoidoscopy a compelling and evidence-backed alternative.
The Bottom Line for Summer 2026
The 25 percent rise in tick bite ER visits is a real early-season signal pointing toward a higher-burden tick-borne illness year. Use repellent, check for ticks, and get medical attention promptly after any bite — don't wait for the rash. And if you are overdue for colorectal cancer screening, the NORCCAP trial provides clear evidence that even one sigmoidoscopy offers protection measurable over two decades. Make the appointment before summer ends.
