Pennsylvania once again leads the nation this year in Lyme disease cases, according to preliminary data released by Centers of Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday and the count is not even close.

This year, there have been around 12,092 reported cases of the tick borne disease. That is triple the amount of cases of the runner up, New York, which had reported 4,002 cases, followed by New Jersey with 3,850 reported cases.

According to Centers of Disease Control there were about 9,000 cases in Pennsylvania.

Spokeswoman of State Health Department cautioned that the figures of this year have not been finalized yet, but they still highlighted the importance for the people to protect themselves from ticks, especially during warmer months.

"It's clearly an issue in Pennsylvania," said April Hutcheson of the Department of Health. "If you suspect you have Lyme disease, catching it early is really essential."

Preventing Tick Bites

Avoid wooded areas with grass and leaf litter.

Walk in centre of trails.

Use insect repellents which contain 20 % to 30 % of DEET on exposed skin and clothing for protection that lasts for several hours.

Check your body for ticks after spending time outdoors.

Treat clothing and boots, socks,pants with products containing 0.5 % of permethrin, pre-treated clothing is also available.

New Laws for Pennsylvania from 2017

-Amandeep