a tick sitting on top of a piece of clear rock.

Tick-borne disease once rare in the South now spreading through Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia

A malaria-like illness spread by black-legged ticks has taken hold in parts of the mid-Atlantic, raising concern among researchers who warn local doctors may not be prepared to recognize or treat it.

Zoya Teirstein reports for Grist.


In short:

  • A new study shows that babesiosis, a tick-borne disease once mostly confined to the Northeast and Upper Midwest, has been found in ticks in Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware for the first time.
  • Climate change — through warmer winters, increased rainfall, and expanded tick habitat — is contributing to the spread of the Babesia parasite and the rodents that carry it.
  • The disease is often misdiagnosed or missed entirely due to low physician awareness, which researchers say could lead to more severe cases and unnecessary complications.

Key quote:

“Tick range expansion is occurring at such a precipitous rate that public health guidance regarding tick-borne disease prevention and treatment can be rapidly rendered obsolete.”

— Study authors

Why this matters:

As winters grow milder and rainfall increases, ticks once confined to northern forests are making themselves at home in southern states, bringing with them diseases that many doctors outside of tick hotspots don't know to look for. Babesiosis, which destroys red blood cells and can lead to organ failure, is especially dangerous for older adults and people with weakened immune systems. Many cases go undetected because symptoms can mimic other illnesses or appear mild, allowing the infection to progress untreated. When doctors miss diagnoses, the consequences can be deadly.

Learn more: Ticks on the rise: a family's encounter reveals growing concerns

NASA website with an image of a missile launching.

Trump administration reverses plan to publish climate reports on NASA site

The Trump administration has decided not to make national climate assessments publicly available through NASA, walking back a previous commitment to maintain access after shuttering the main government site that hosted the reports.

Seth Borenstein reports for The Associated Press.

Keep reading...Show less
An eraser on the end of a pencil.

Climate change data is being erased from U.S. government websites under Trump

The Trump administration has dismantled key climate science programs, removed publicly accessible reports, and cut research funding, marking a shift from climate denial to deliberate data suppression.

Kate Yoder reports for Grist.

Keep reading...Show less
A cyclone fence gate locked with a chain and padlock displays a yellow caution sign about underground radioactive material.
credit: Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash

Nuclear energy’s clean image leaves out the radioactive baggage

Nuclear energy is making a global comeback as a supposed climate fix, but Indigenous communities say its toxic past and present make it far from clean.

Yessenia Funes reports for Atmos.

Keep reading...Show less
Drone view of a wind turbine and warehouses.

US House plan would slash energy and transit programs in 2026 budget

House Republicans introduced a fiscal 2026 budget plan that slashes funding for clean energy and transit while boosting nuclear security and fossil fuel research.

Andres Picon and Manuel Quiñones report for E&E News.

Keep reading...Show less
A sign saying United States Environmental Protection Agency on a stone wall.

House GOP pushes steep EPA and Interior cuts in 2026 budget plan

House Republicans proposed a 23% cut to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and reduced funding for the U.S. Interior Department in a new 2026 spending bill that escalates a partisan clash over environmental and climate policy.

Kevin Bogardus, Garrett Downs, and Michael Doyle report for E&E News.

Keep reading...Show less
Illustration of a house with solar panels on the roof.

Trump’s new energy law slashes popular clean energy tax credits

Many clean energy incentives created under the Inflation Reduction Act will end years earlier than expected, after President Trump signed new legislation rolling back key climate provisions.

Ysabelle Kempe reports for Canary Media.

Keep reading...Show less
Hands holding an empty wallet.

Red states face steep rise in energy bills as renewable tax cuts take effect

Electricity costs are set to rise nationwide after Republican-backed legislation eliminated federal support for renewable energy, with Republican-leaning states likely to see the sharpest increases, according to a new analysis.

Oliver Milman reports for The Guardian.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.