CDC reports record-breaking spike in emergency room visits

As warmer weather draws thousands of Georgians outdoors, public health officials are issuing an urgent warning to watch out for ticks. The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that emergency room visits for tick bites reached a record-breaking peak in April, marking the highest volume of cases documented since 2017. The spike in activity has doctors on high alert, as several species of ticks native to the Southeast can transmit serious, life-altering human illnesses.