Lyme disease is on the rise in Pennsylvania and New Jersey (BLOG)

From spending time with family to getting exercise and enjoying the beauty of the nature, there are many reasons to love the outdoors. One...

From spending time with family to getting exercise and enjoying the beauty of the nature, there are many reasons to love the outdoors. One thing that people who enjoy outdoor recreation don't love, however, is ticks. But thanks to the mild winter, the disease-carrying arachnids are already out in full force this year. 

In this area, the biggest threat from ticks, specifically the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis), also known as the deer tick, is Lyme disease, which can be transmitted when a tick carrying the disease passes it on to a human after attaching itself to feed. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 250,000 cases of Lyme Disease have been reported in the nation since 2000. In 2009, the last year for which complete statistics are available, New Jersey had 4,598 confirmed cases - its most ever in one year- while Pennsylvania had 4,950.

"The incidence of Lyme disease has increased in Pennsylvania over the past decade," said St. Luke's University Health Network Director of Healthcare Epidemiology and Infection Prevention Dr. Kara Mascitti, MD, MSCE. "It's unclear if that is due to an increased recognition and diagnosis of the disease, or if there is an actual increase in the number of ticks in the area."

While ticks normally become active in spring, this year's mild winter has brought them out earlier than normal. Although the adults, which are actively feeding now, can transmit the disease, the CDC reports most humans are infected by immature ticks known as nymphs, which feed spring through summer. 
    
When it comes to preventing tick bites, there are several precautions a person can take. The best way to minimize the threat of Lyme disease is to keep contact with the blood suckers to a minimum.

"This can be done by avoiding places where they are most likely found including wooded and bushy areas, or areas with high grass. If you do anticipate contact with one of these high risk areas, it's important to wear a hat, long sleeves and pants, and to use insect repellant containing 20-percent or more DEET on the exposed skin," Mascitti said. "It's also important to do a thorough tick check when returning indoors to remove any ticks that might have gotten on you despite these measures. Showering immediately upon returning indoors can also wash away ticks that haven't yet attached to the skin."

When doing a visual inspection for ticks, no area should be overlooked.

"Because ticks like hard-to-see areas of the body, you should pay close attention to the armpits, in and around the ears, behind the knees, in the groin and underneath the hair," Mascitti said. "It's also important to check any gear, pets, etc. that may have accompanied you outside, as these can carry ticks inside your home that can later make their way onto your body." 

As for clothing and gear that comes in contact with the body such as backpacks, it's a good idea to treat them with a permethrin-based product designed to kill and repel ticks. The CDC also recommends putting clothes in the dryer for one hour on high heat to kill any ticks that may be on them. 

While turkey hunters, anglers, hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts know how easy it is to pick up ticks while moving through woods or brush, the reality is that each year countless unsuspecting individuals are bitten by the arachnids while they are working, gardening or playing right in their own backyards. To help reduce the risk of picking up ticks in the yard, the CDC recommends people take preventive actions such as mowing the lawn regularly, removing leaf litter from their yards and clearing tall grasses and brush from around their houses and the edge of yards.  If you do find a tick on you, the best way to remove it is to grab it as close to the skin as possible and pull up with a steady, consistent motion. Afterward, wash your hands and the bite area thoroughly with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.  

Experts say a tick must be attached for at least 36 hours for the Lyme disease bacterium to be transmitted. If you do exhibit signs of the disease, it's important to consult your family doctor or an infectious disease specialist for proper diagnosis and treatment. In most cases, antibiotics are prescribed to treat Lyme disease, and according to the CDC patients who take the appropriate antibiotics in the early stages of the disease usually make a rapid and complete recovery. 

"Early Lyme disease usually presents like a "summertime flu" with headache and body aches, fevers and chills, and fatigue," Mascitti said. "Often people will notice the classic bull's-eye-like red rash."

 
That rash, called Erythema migrans, as well as the other symptoms, will usually occur within a few days to a month after a person is bitten by an infected tick. And while the rash can be an indicator that Lyme disease is present, it isn't noticeable in every case. 

"The bull's-eye rash is a tell-tale sign, but unfortunately it is found in only 70-80 percent of cases,"  Mascitti said. "Or if it occurs, it can occur in an area where it might not be immediately noticed like the back, armpit or under the hair." 

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