Lyme disease is on the rise according to a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC recorded 17,730 cases in 2000, up eight percent from 1999. CDC officials say the alarming number of cases may be caused by increasing development of woodland areas where ticks are commonly found.

Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness that can cause fatigue, chills, fever, headache, stiff neck, muscle aches, joint aches, backache, nausea, swollen lymph nodes, an enlarged spleen, abnormal nerve function, meningitis, heart arrhythmia, pericarditis (swelling of the sac surrounding the heart) and arthritis.