NJ data showing dramatic rise in dangerous disease could be misleading

Updated figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show a nearly 40% jump in Lyme disease cases in the Garden State.

But that's not actually the case. The major reported spike by the CDC — including a 70% increase in cases nationwide — is just the product of updated reporting practices, rather than a reflection of increased risk.

In high-incidence jurisdictions like New Jersey, surveillance for the tick-borne disease now just needs laboratory evidence of infection. Until 2022, the process also required clinical information in order to confirm a case.

With the updated requirements in place, New Jersey recorded 5,897 Lyme cases in humans in 2022. The yearly average from 2017 to 2019, before the revised definition was implemented, was 4,237.

Still, the rate of Lyme has been on the rise in New Jersey over the years — just not in such a dramatic fashion.

Dr. Richard Porwancher, with Princeton Infectious Disease Associates, said the rise can be attributed to factors such as the increased development of housing in wooded areas, as well as creatures that carry the tick — deer and white-footed mice — being more resilient and surviving winters.

"Any given tick bite has about a 2 or 3% chance of spreading illness," Porwancher said. "That is particularly true if you get them off in the first 24 to 36 hours."

And as New Jersey approaches the warmer months, medical professionals anticipate another bump of visits from residents and their kids who likely don't take most precautions to limit their interaction with ticks.

"I would rather have patients avoid getting the illness, than come see me for treatment," Porwancher said. "I recommend after coming in from the great outdoors that you strip, inspect, and shower."

According to the New Jersey Department of Health, the biggest risk of Lyme occurs from April through October. More than half of the state's cases occur in June and July.

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