Report shows Lyme disease is spreading among Americans

Keep in mind to wear protective clothes and bug spray in the wilderness, and see a doctor if you have a bullseye rash or flu-like symptoms that could indicate Lyme disease.

They examined numbers from the US’s all 3,110 counties to find out where the ticks were “established”, which means there were sightings of more than six individual ticks or over two of the three host-seeking life stages were recognized in a year. Amalgamation of the data suggests that the ticks are present in 45% more counties as compared to 1,058 counties, which is 30%, in 1998.

To update the 1998 distribution data of I. scapularis and its West Coast relative I. pacificus, Eisen and colleagues reviewed literature published from January 1, 1996 to August 25, 2015 for studies and articles related to the two species.

“Since the late 1990s, the number of counties in the northeastern United States that are considered high-risk for Lyme disease has increased by more than 320 [percent]”, said researcher Rebecca J. Eisen, according to Science Magazine. The actual number of counties the black-legged tick has been spotted in has doubled.

Bearing in mind the fact that Lyme disease-carrying ticks have spread over nearly 50% of the USA territory, the general public should exercise a higher degree of caution when traveling through grassy areas or when petting stray animals. For example, according to the study, populations in the Northeast saw significant tick population increases, while in counties further South, there was less population growth. However, there are patients that are left untreated with the disease, which can lead to chronic neurological problems and joint inflammation for weeks or months or even years after its infection. For the western blacklegged tick, the distribution rate in counties across the country increased from 3.4 percent to 3.6 percent.

If caught early, Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics.

Environmental and climate changes may be helping ticks to expand their territory in the US, noted Dr. Bobbi Pritt, director of clinical parasitology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Given these risks, experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urge people to take greater precautions so as not to contract Lyme disease. They can do this by wearing tops with long sleeves and long trousers. Also, the Arsnoe’s team found out that the tick nymphs that originate from Rhode Island and Wisconsin are 20 times more likely to appear from a litter of leaves where they can easily be in the path of humans passing there. People should also have a friend or family member check their body for ticks, and check any pets.