Lyme Disease
North Dakota

Lyme Disease in North Dakota

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 North Dakota right now.

It can change overnight. Be the first to know when it does.

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

North Dakota Health Resources

Local health department information and state-specific prevention guidance

We're Monitoring North Dakota

Our AI-powered surveillance continuously monitors Lyme Disease activity across North Dakota. We track data from state health departments, local hospitals, CDC reports, and 50+ global health sources to provide early warning of emerging threats.

Get instant push notifications when Lyme Disease activity increases in North Dakota or your specific county.

Open Web App

North Dakota Health Department

For official state health alerts, vaccination locations, and public health guidance specific to North Dakota, visit your state health department's website.

Understanding Lyme Disease: Key Questions

Whether you live in North Dakota 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.

Get Lyme Disease alerts for North Dakota.

Know the moment activity changes. Weekly digest included.

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 →

Research

Latest peer-reviewed research and clinical studies

View Research →

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 North Dakota 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…

United States · Alaska · 2026-07-04

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…

United States Minor Outlying Islands · Baker Island · 2026-06-14

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…

Canada · 2026-07-01

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…

United States · Alaska · 2026-06-27

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…

United States · Alaska · 2026-06-29

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…

United States · Alaska · 2026-06-16

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 …

United States Minor Outlying Islands · Baker Island · 2026-06-08

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…

United States · Alaska · 2026-06-12

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Lyme Disease answered by our epidemiology team

Related Diseases

Track other diseases with similar symptoms or transmission patterns

Get Lyme Disease Alerts for North Dakota

Receive instant push notifications when Lyme Disease activity increases in North Dakota or your travel destinations. Track 200+ diseases with location-based alerts. Used by healthcare systems, EMS, schools, and travelers worldwide.

Open Web App Enterprise Solutions
Virus Watcher