Maine CDC Announces Winners of Youth Lyme Disease Awareness Month Poster Contest

May 22, 2026

AUGUSTA-- The Maine Department of Health and Human Services' Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) today announced the winners of the 2026 Lyme Disease Awareness Month poster contest. The annual contest invites Maine students in kindergarten through eighth grade to create posters that promote tick bite prevention. This year's theme is "Tick Free Zone."

The 2026 contest winners are:

• Cambria M., 1st Grade, Calvary Christian Academy, Turner
• Holly J., 3rd Grade, Fruit Street School, Bangor
• Haven K., 4th Grade, Mattanawcook Junior High School, Lincoln
• Hannah K., 6th Grade, Harrison Middle School, Yarmouth

The winning posters highlighted simple ways to prevent tick bites and reduce the risk of tickborne disease.

Maine continues to see growing numbers of tickborne illnesses each year. Preliminary data from the Maine Tracking Network show that health care providers reported a record 4,257 cases of Lyme disease in 2025. Providers also reported 1,604 cases of anaplasmosis and 352 cases of babesiosis in 2025. As of May 19, 2026, there have been 832 reports of these tickborne illnesses in Maine, according to the Maine Tracking Network.

The Maine CDC encourages everyone to think TICKS when spending time outdoors:

• T -- Take and use an EPA-approved repellent. Use DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus on skin. Use permethrin on clothing only.
• I -- Inspect your body daily. Check yourself, children, and pets for ticks after spending time outdoors.
• C -- Cover your skin. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants and tuck pants into socks. Light-colored clothing makes ticks easier to spot.
• K -- Know your surroundings. Be aware when you are in tick habitat and take extra precautions.
• S -- Shower after being outdoors. Showering helps wash off ticks before they attach. Put clothes in the dryer on high heat for at least 15 minutes before washing to kill ticks.

The most common symptom of Lyme disease is a slow spreading rash that may look like a bull's-eye. Other symptoms of tickborne disease can include fever, fatigue, headache, and muscle or joint aches. Anyone experiencing symptoms after a tick bite or outdoor exposure should talk to a health care provider.

Read the Department's recent blog, Spring Outdoor Awareness, for more prevention and protection tips for the season.

Contest winners will receive a Maine State Parks family day pass and tick removal kits for their classmates.

To learn more about staying tick free, visit the Maine CDC's Lyme disease webpage at www.maine.gov/lyme.