Lyme Disease in Maryland
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted through infected blacklegged tick bites. It's the most common vector-borne disease in the United States with about 476,000 cases diagnosed annually.
No active Lyme Disease reports in Maryland right now.
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What is Lyme Disease?
Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. If caught early with the characteristic bull's-eye rash, it's easily treated with antibiotics. However, delayed treatment can lead to serious complications affecting joints, heart, and nervous system.
Symptoms
- Expanding red bull's-eye rash
- Fever and chills
- Fatigue
- Headache and stiff neck
- Muscle and joint aches
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Later: Severe joint pain, facial paralysis, heart issues
Transmission
Transmitted through infected blacklegged tick bites. Ticks must be attached 36-48 hours. Not contagious person-to-person.
Contagious Period: Not contagious between people
Prevention
- Use insect repellents (DEET, picaridin)
- Wear light-colored clothing, long sleeves/pants
- Walk in center of trails
- Full body tick checks after outdoors
- Shower within 2 hours of being outside
- Treat clothing with permethrin
- Remove leaf litter around home
- Prompt tick removal with tweezers
Maryland Health Resources
Local health department information and state-specific prevention guidance
We're Monitoring Maryland
Our AI-powered surveillance continuously monitors Lyme Disease activity across Maryland. We track data from state health departments, local hospitals, CDC reports, and 50+ global health sources to provide early warning of emerging threats.
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Maryland Health Department
For official state health alerts, vaccination locations, and public health guidance specific to Maryland, visit your state health department's website.
Understanding Lyme Disease: Key Questions
Whether you live in Maryland or are traveling there, knowing the symptoms, timeline, and when to seek care helps you act quickly if exposure occurs.
When to Seek Care
Seek care if you experience severe dehydration, bloody stools, high fever, or symptoms lasting more than 3 days. Children under 5, adults over 65, and immunocompromised individuals should seek care earlier.
Emergency symptoms: Severe dehydration, inability to keep fluids down for 12 or more hours, or neurological symptoms require emergency care.
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Expert Resources & References
Trusted information from leading health organizations
CDC
Official guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
View CDC Resources →WHO
Global disease surveillance and guidelines from the World Health Organization
View WHO Resources →Medically Reviewed Content
Disease information on Virus Watcher is reviewed by our Chief Epidemiologist, a former CDC lead analyst for FluSight forecasting. Outbreak data is aggregated from verified sources including BEACON, ProMED, WHO, CDC, and 50+ national health agencies. This information is for educational purposes and should not replace professional medical advice.
Last reviewed: 2026-07-18
Recent Lyme Disease Reports
No confirmed cases reported in Maryland yet. Here are the latest Lyme Disease reports from our global surveillance network.
A new approach to fighting Lyme disease could one day be as easy as buying a bag of garden pellets from a home improvement store. Researchers at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) are developing a non-toxic biologic designed to reduce the spread of Lyme disease before…
Beyond the well-documented threat of Lyme disease, health officials are now highlighting a lesser-known but potentially life-threatening consequence of tick bites: a severe allergy to meat. This condition, termed alpha-gal syndrome, was first identified about 15 years ago, linke…
Tick sightings and cases of Lyme disease are increasing in Canada, but likely still being underdiagnosed, according to one infectious disease specialist. Data from eTick.ca shows that tick reports are up 38.5 per cent nationwide compared to the same time last year. Meanwhile, acc…
For Lyme Disease Awareness Month in May, one woman revisited her family's long battle with the illness -- and highlighted an irony that still makes them laugh years later: the family dog was diagnosed faster than any of them. Makalea, known on Instagram as @heymakalea, has spent…
Matthew Mealer holds up his targets at the Busch Shooting Range in Weldon Spring, Missouri, in May. Mealer said he's generally skeptical of new vaccines but might consider one for Lyme disease if it proves safe and effective. Kyle Pyatt for KFF Health News hide caption It's tick…
When a man is known as a crank, it is all too easy to dismiss his every subsequent idea or utterance. Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US secretary of health and human services, once propounded the theory that the causative organism of Lyme disease was bioengineered for military purposes…
HHS Secretary Kennedy made an announcement on Lyme disease. Sec. Kennedy spoke in Concord, New Hampshire. As summer approaches and steadily warm temperatures persist across the U.S., Americans flock outdoors to enjoy the pleasant weather, but not without the risk of ticks. The …
A Nantucket project is testing whether mice with protective antibodies can help slow the spread of Lyme disease NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! for decades, affecting residents and raising concerns for visitors exploring the island's beaches, trails and conservation…
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lyme Disease answered by our epidemiology team
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