Tick season is back, and so is the threat of Lyme disease, with cases expected to climb yet again as climate change fuels tick activity. But two new studies point to new treatment options on the horizon: Researchers have identified new strategies that could make it easier to stop infection early and also reduce the risk of developing a long-term complication called Lyme arthritis. Here’s what to know. 

Lyme Cases Are Expected to Surge in 2025 

There’s a good chance new Lyme cases will continue the steep upward trend of recent years. CDC-reported cases jumped more than 40% from 2022 to 2023, possibly due to the effects of climate change — such as shorter winters and rising temperatures, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. 

Ticks that spread the Lyme-causing bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi are most active when temperatures exceed 45 °F, and they like a minimum of 85% humidity. Some places in the world where ticks have never previously been found now have them, broadening the risk of contracting the disease. 

The First-Line Treatment for Lyme Disease May Change 

Researchers at Northwestern University in Illinois recently tested more than 500 antibiotics and other FDA-approved compounds to see if they could treat the infection in a way that attacks the unique cellular features of Borrelia burgdorferi. The findings were published Wednesday in Science Translational Medicine.

In their experiments, an antibiotic from the penicillin family called piperacillin cured mice of Lyme disease using a dose 100 times lower than the current treatment, the antibiotic doxycycline. Doxycycline is known to cause a host of side effects including gut problems because it kills healthy bacteria too. And it’s ineffective in up to 20% of people. Another limitation is that young children cannot take doxycycline.