Tick-borne illnesses increasing in the U.S.

Dear Doctors: Is it just me, or does it seem like a lot more people are getting diseases from ticks? We just heard about a lady who lives not too far from here who died from a tick bite. It gave her Powassan virus, which I'd never heard of before. What is that? Is it as common as Lyme disease?

Dear Reader: When it comes to an increase in the types and number of tick-borne illnesses in the United St…