Babesiosis, a tick-borne illness, has become endemic in three more states, NBC News reported March 16.
Previously, the disease was considered endemic in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. A recent CDC report found babesiosis is now endemic in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont as well.
Between 2011 and 2019, 10 states have reported a rise in babesiosis cases, and only two observed declines: Minnesota and Wisconsin.
The report found “an unfortunate milestone in the emergence of babesiosis in the United States,” Peter Krause, MD, a senior research scientist at the Yale School of Public Health, told NBC News. “More cases means more illness, and actually, some people die.”
