Community Corner

Are Sewickley Area Residents at Risk for Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease affects more than 30,000 people annually in the U.S. Find out what you need to know to protect yourself.

Ticks aren't in short supply this summer—and that means Lyme disease cases are on the rise.

In Allegheny County, the number of reported but unconfirmed cases has already nearly quadrupled in the last year from 59 in 2012 to more than 200 so far this year, according to Dr. Ronald E. Voorhees, acting director of the Allegheny County Health Department. The county reports 24 cases each in 2010 and 2011.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health reports that in 2012 there were 15 cases reported in Washington County and 235 cases in Butler County. Confirmed cases in the region skyrocketed by 240 percent from 2007 to 2011, according to state health department statistics reported by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

The total confirmed and probable cases in Pennsylvania for 2012 is 5,033, said Kait Gillis, state health department deputy press secretary. 

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Voorhees said the numbers might not tell the story of how many cases are truly Lyme disease.

"We made a decision a few years ago not to confirm each case," he said, explaining the department takes the reports it receives from physicians about suspected cases. 

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Lab results can sometimes cause confusion—one reason that the health department no longer confirms each case.

But there is no question that more cases of Lyme disease are being reported in western Pennsylvania. 

Infectious disease specialists are seeing more cases and veterinarians are reporting more ticks on pets, the acting health department director said.

"Not only do we have deer ticks now but we know the ticks are infected," Voorhees said.

Because of the shift in the number of infected ticks, those living in western Pennsylvania are at a new level of risk for the disease. Until recently, the risk here was "very low" while the chance of getting Lyme disease was much higher in eastern Pennsylvania, Voorhees said.

While keeping an eye on the Lyme disease issue, the Allegheny County Health Department just reported Tuesday that the aggressive Asian Tiger mosquito has been found throughout Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood. The county has a program in place to control West Nile virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, by treating standing water where the insects lay eggs. 

The treatment keeps the mosquito larvae from developing so the insects never fly. Combating ticks poses a different problem.

"We don't really have a method of doing tick control," Voorhees said.

Voorhees said only one person in 500 will develop West Nile virus after being bit—and that most people don't even know they've been infected. 

In contrast, Lyme disease affects more than 30,000 people in the United States each year and is the leading disease transmitted through bug bites, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

How to Protect Yourself
Named for the town of Old Lyme in Connecticut where it was first discovered in 1975, Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that occurs when an infected blacklegged tick, also known as a deer tick, attaches to and bites a host, passing along the bacteria.

Thirteen states in the Northeast and Midwest reported 96 percent of all cases of Lyme disease in 2011. That’s because blacklegged ticks only live in those parts of the county, the CDC said.

Dr. Pritish Tosh of the Mayo Clinic recommends checking for and removing ticks after outdoor activities, wearing protective clothing and using insect repellent.

"(A tick) has to be on a day or more before it transmits Lyme disease," Voorhees added.

The CDC recommends using fine-tipped tweezers to remove the tick, and experts said to contact your doctor if you develop signs of infection such as:

  • Red, expanding bulls-eye rash
  • Headaches
  • Fever
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle and joint aches
  • Swollen lymph nodes

If you develop any of these symptoms, consult your doctor immediately, because the disease can be frustratingly difficult to nail down. And while researchers work to develop avaccine, there is not currently one available, so it’s important to stay safe. 

Follow these handy prevention tips from the CDC:

  • Avoid moist, humid environments and leafy areas where ticks like to live
  • Repel ticks with bug sprays, like DEET or Permethrin
  • Check your family and pets for ticks on a daily basis
  • Be alert for fever or rash, even if you don’t remember being bitten by a tick
  • Limit pets’ access to tick-infested areas, and use tick collars or spot treatment
  • Create tick-safe zones in your yard by raking up leaves, using a bug spray and discouraging deer

The upside is that the cure is very effective. Those who contract Lyme disease will typically be given the antibiotic doxycycline, which should clear up the disease in a few days to a few weeks.

Have you seen an increase of ticks on your pets? Have you been diagnosed with Lyme disease? Tell us about it in the comments box below.


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