Pa. leads the nation for Lyme disease cases. Development in forests boosts the risk

Pennsylvania leads the nation in Lyme disease cases, and the continued development of forested areas increases people’s risk of being bitten by the species of tick that transmits the illness.

When forests — where black-legged ticks thrive statewide — are fragmented to make room for roads, oil and gas sites, housing developments, or shopping centers, ticks have fewer available hosts and are more likely to bite humans.

 

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