Westcountry hotspot for Lyme disease with 40% of new cases

In the wake of that, Wolfe started the Alabama Lyme Disease Association.

Mobile County is one of seven in Alabama considered an endemic for Lyme Disease. This creatures are feed on the blood of birds and mammals including humans.

It takes a tick 24 to 48 hours to begin feeding and possibly transmitting the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.

The problem with diagnosing Lyme disease, however, is that the screening process for the condition is not very effective.

However she was not diagnosed and treated for another three years, during which time she suffered a range of severe, painful and apparently unconnected symptoms, which baffled her doctors.

Experts believe this is due to the increased number of the infectious agent’s carriers, the black-legged ticks and warmer climates that prolong tick life span.

The main symptom is a distinctive circular rash, which looks like a bull’s eye on a dart board, at the site of the tick bite.

Celebrities including Selena Gomez, Bella Hadid and Avril Lavigne have spoken out about suffering from the disease.

Brown said that that section of Berkshire County is “another hotspot for Lyme disease”, and that rates are similar in nearby areas of New York and Connecticut.

Ticks?! Ew. Where do they live so I can avoid them? She also had flu-like symptoms and trouble sleeping.

Mr Caudwell said he feared the infection could be transmitted between humans as he revealed that he, his former wife, Kate McFarlane, and their two daughters, Rebekah, 35, and Rhiannon, 27, had all since tested positive for Lyme disease as well.

Stella Huyshe-Shires from Lyme Disease Action says there are other things being done to raise awareness, too.

Two other parts of the state – Worcester and Middlesex counties – have seen sharp increases in Lyme disease rates in recent years, she said.

Even more alarming is that there still are doctors who are unaware or do not consider the possibility of Lyme disease, even among areas where ticks are surprisingly common.

If you are hiking in the woods or in an area known to have ticks, stick to the middle of the trail, Patrick advises.

If you’ve been bitten by a tick, watch for the symptoms of Lyme disease over the coming days or weeks. If correctly diagnosed at an early stage, the treatment involves a long course of antibiotics. However, symptoms can become long-lasting if not dealt with early on.

“Because a few people genuinely do go undiagnosed and untreated, patients are always able to point to this to show that their view of a massive problem is correct”.