Lyme Disease Statistics

In 2022, a new national case definition for Lyme disease surveillance went into effect, and as a result, MDH changed its surveillance methods. As a high-incidence state for Lyme disease, Minnesota is no longer required to collect clinical information to classify each case and instead reports totals based on the number of people who have confirmatory lab testing. Because of this change, case numbers appear to have increased dramatically in 2022, but they are comparable to prior years. For a portion of Minnesota counties that are in emerging and low-incidence areas of the state, MDH continued to collect detailed data.

In 2022, 2,685 probable Lyme disease cases based on confirmatory laboratory evidence were reported in Minnesota.

• 1,537 (57%) of all probable cases were male
• Median case age was 52 years (range, 1 to 96 years)

Of the 2,685 probable Lyme disease cases reported, 188 (7%) cases occurred in counties that are considered low-incidence for Lyme and other tickborne diseases. Traditional case follow-up was performed for these cases.

• 105 (56%) cases were male
• Median case age was 42 years (range, 2 to 96).
• 46 (24%) cases had a physician-diagnosed erythema migrans rash (e.g., Bull’s eye rash)
• 26 (14%) cases had one or more late manifestations of Lyme disease including 12 with a history of objective joint swelling, 10 with cranial neuritis including Bell’s Palsy, and 3 with acute onset of 2nd or 3rd degree atrioventricular conduction defects.

Of the 150 (80%) cases with known onset dates, onset of symptoms peaked from May through September. This timing corresponds with the typical peaks in tick activity in the spring and early summer.

For more information on Lyme disease surveillance, visit CDC: Lyme disease surveillance and available data. 

Charts and graphs

• Reported Cases of Lyme Disease in Minnesota by Year, 1996-2022 (PDF)
  Graph showing the number of reported cases of Lyme disease in Minnesota by year.

Maps

In recent years, most Lyme disease cases reported likely exposure to blacklegged (deer) ticks in east-central, north-central, and southeast Minnesota.

• High Risk Areas for Tickborne Diseases in Minnesota 
  A map that shows counties of highest tickborne disease risk in Minnesota.

Annual Summary Statistics

• Lyme Disease: Annual Summary of Reportable Diseases
  The Minnesota Department of Health collects information on infectious diseases for the purposes of determining disease impact, assessing trends in disease occurrence, characterizing affected populations, prioritizing control efforts, and evaluating prevention strategies, and reports statistics annually.  Note: There are no listings for years in which there were no cases reported. The annual summary archives available on the web go back to 1997.

National statistics

• CDC: Lyme Disease Surveillance and Data
  Maps, charts, tables, and reports from the CDC.