A serious health threat has been spreading in Pennsylvania, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and shifting weather patterns may be a contributing factor.
What’s happening?
Cases of anaplasmosis went up over 50% in Allegheny County in 2025. U.S. states, including Wisconsin and California, have also seen jumps in the tick-borne bacterial infection.
Anaplasmosis is routinely transmitted alongside Lyme disease via tick bites. Initial symptoms of infection include fever, fatigue, and nausea. When left untreated, it can have longer-term consequences.
Why is anaplasmosis concerning?
“I really can’t commit a lot to doing what I used to,” Janine Hauck told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in late December. Hauck contracted anaplasmosis in 2019 and has since suffered from chronic fatigue, impacting her ability to hike, bike, swim, and engage in the outdoor activities she loves. “It’s changed my life.”
A major contributor to the increase in anaplasmosis infections is the expanded population and habitat of disease-carrying ticks. Warmer, wetter weather patterns, exacerbated in part by atmospheric pollution, have provided prime conditions for ticks to reproduce…