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Maine Saw Record Lyme Cases In 2019

Courtesy CDC

The state of Maine saw a record number of Lyme disease cases last year, according to preliminary data released this week.

Officials estimate there were more than 2,000 confirmed or probable cases of the tick-borne illness in 2019.

Maine's previous record was around 1,800 in 2017.

New Hampshire set its own, similar record for Lyme occurrences that same year. The number in both states dropped slightly in 2018.

New Hampshire typically puts out its new Lyme data in the summer.

Officials in Maine say their latest numbers are a reminder, as always, to take precautions to avoid tick bites during the warmer parts of the year.

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[Listen to Patient Zero, the NHPR podcast on Lyme Disease]

Annie has covered the environment, energy, climate change and the Seacoast region for NHPR since 2017. She leads the newsroom's climate reporting project, By Degrees.
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