Illinois health officials say they're seeing an increase in tick-borne illness among residents in the state.
Department of Public Health entomologist Linn Haramis says that the state had about 40 confirmed cases in 2000. By 2010, the number increased to 200 confirmed cases. The provisional total for 2016 is nearly 350 cases.
The number of tick-borne illness cases isn't known precisely because the department only counts those confirmed by testing.
Such tick-borne illnesses include Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosis, Babesiosis and Anaplasma Phagocytophilum.
Illinois State University infectious disease researcher Ben Sadd says one reason for the uptick in such illnesses could be global warming. He says fewer ticks, and the small mammals they feed on, die during milder winters.
