GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — There is a concerning trend as we head into spring. The number of ticks and tick-borne illnesses is increasing.
From 2016 to 2020 in Kent County, there were only about 11 cases of Lyme disease a year. However, in data only completed through September, 2025 saw 216 cases of Lyme disease.
“We’re going from 10, 11, 12 cases to hundreds of cases a year now,” said Dr. Andrew Jameson, infectious disease physician at Trinity Health Medical Group. “We really think that it’s a combination of the type of ticks that are moving and where they’re moving. Much of that is being driven by climate change.”…