ENGLAND — Laboratory-confirmed cases of Lyme disease in England rose 22% in 2025 compared with 2024, according to public records from the UK Health Security Agency. There were 1,168 confirmed cases in 2025, up from 959 in 2024. The 2025 total was slightly above the 1,151 cases recorded in 2023.

"While the number of laboratory-confirmed acute cases of Lyme disease in 2025 is an increase on numbers reported in 2024, we expect overall case rates to vary year to year depending on awareness, testing rates and factors that impact outdoor activities such as weather. Broader trends in 2025 remain consistent," said Dr Claire Gordon, head of the rare and imported pathogens laboratory at UKHSA.

Gordon also pointed to the range of ticks that transmit the infection. "In recent years, we have seen an increasing geographical distribution of ticks across the UK," she said. "But tick numbers continue to vary due to changes in weather conditions, climate trends, habitat changes and shifting host populations," Gordon added.

Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which lives in the gut of ticks. Ticks are small arachnids found in grassy and wooded areas that feed on the blood of birds and mammals, including humans. Not all ticks carry Lyme bacteria, and rapid removal of ticks after a bite reduces the risk of infection.

Symptoms of Lyme disease can include a bullseye-like rash, fever, muscle and joint pain, and lethargy. If left untreated, the disease can become chronic, and some patients treated with antibiotics report ongoing symptoms. Advice for preventing Lyme disease includes using repellants, covering exposed skin outdoors, and wearing light-coloured clothing to make ticks easier to spot.