Lyme disease cases in England rise by more than 20% in a year

Scientists developing vaccines and anti-tick treatments amid growing concern over spread of disease Cases of Lyme disease have risen more than 20% in England in the past year, public health experts have revealed, as pharmaceutical companies work to create new vaccines and drugs to tackle the tick-borne illness. According to data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), published as part of its One Health vector-borne disease surveillance report, there were 1,168 laboratory-confirmed cases of Lyme disease in 2025, up from 959 in 2024 – an increase of 22%. However, the figure is similar to that recorded in 2023, when there were 1,151 confirmed cases. Two probable cases of tick-borne encephalitis complex were also identified in 2025, bringing the total number of locally acquired cases to six since 2019, when the virus was first identified in the UK. Dr Claire Gordon, the head of the rare and imported pathogens laboratory at UKHSA, said: “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 activit