The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it recorded nearly 17,000 cases of Lyme in 1998 and more than 16,000 in 1999, with the vast majority concentrated in the Northeast and Midwest. The United States averaged about 11,000 cases a year in the first eight years of the decade. The CDC said increased awareness of Lyme disease may account for some of the rise. But the agency attributed the jump mainly to cities sprawling into rural areas, new homes being built in heavily wooded developments and a booming population of deer, which carry ticks that spread the disease.
People really enjoy having that sort of forested, outdoorsy ecology right around.
There's just more chance to have more contact. Lyme disease causes fatigue, fever and joint pain that can persist for weeks, and some patients develop severe arthritis. Lyme also can badly damage the heart and nervous system if it goes untreated by antibiotics. Signs include rash and flulike symptoms. Daily tick checks, vaccinations and insect repellent are recommended as preventive measures.