Warming temperatures due to climate change could lead to more tick-borne diseases, according to the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS).

Ticks are active and out longer as a result of milder winters and longer, hotter, more humid summers. Ticks are also spreading into areas that were once too cold for them. People and dogs are at risk of contracting tick-borne diseases.

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in the U.S., and cases are on the rise in Michigan. Black-legged ticks, which are common in Michigan, spread the illness.

Helping the environment adapt to a changing climate presents an opportunity to improve human health, MDHHS stated. The department promoted Michigan Tracking (MiTracking), designed to share environmental and human health data, in a fact sheet on climate change and the state’s ticks.