Kansas City, Mo. ? Reported cases of tick-borne diseases have jumped this year in Missouri.

Driven in large part by increased recognition and more houses built in old forests, the diseases are being reported at a rate far higher than the five-year average.

The state has received reports of 117 cases of Ehrlichiosis, compared to the annual average of 40. They’ve also received reports of 186 cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, compared with the normal 64; 18 cases of tularemia, compared to 12; and 35 cases of Lyme disease instead of the normal 22.

The woods likely make a difference as the increase of tick-borne diseases in Kansas is much lower. Joe Blubaugh, spokesman for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said the state has recorded 13 cases of the four different diseases, more than double the normal amount.