Lyme disease is spread by the bite of an infected tick.
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We’ve now spent over two years focused on COVID-19 — rightly so, of course — though we’ve thankfully reached a point at which the worst of it seems behind us, we hope. With that, and the coming of warm weather, people are naturally itching to get back out into the world to do all the things we loved to do before the coronavirus came.
Pennsylvania — and particularly our corner of the state — is blessed with beautiful scenery and ample opportunities for outdoor recreation. We would encourage you to get out and enjoy. We also want to remind folks about a risk that the great outdoors continues to pose: tick-borne illnesses.
Regular readers of Dr. Alfred Casale’s “To Your Health” column may have seen his recent piece about this seasonal risk, and how to keep yourself safe. We’d like to reiterate that message here.
Deer ticks, known for spreading Lyme disease and other illnesses, are expected to be prevalent this spring, according to the National Pest Management Association.
A warm winter followed by a rainy spring tends to bring out ticks, along with other pests like mosquitoes and termites, across the country.
To compound matters, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Tick Surveillance and Testing Program has identified a rare but dangerous disease in more than 80 percent of ticks sampled at recreational areas across the state, including a site in Wyoming County, Dr. Casale noted. Deer tick virus (DTV) is a form of Powassan virus, and symptoms may include fever, headache, vomiting and weakness.
Then there’s Lyme disease, the much more well-known tick-borne illness that can cause symptoms of:
• Flu-like illness
• Join pain and swelling
• Headache
• Bell’s palsy or facial nerve paralysis
• Extreme fatigue
We aren’t trying to scare anyone; we simply want to remind everyone to take the necessary precautions, because these diseases pose more than a minor risk.
As the state Department of Health points out, Lyme disease is one of the most common reportable infectious diseases in Pennsylvania. While as many as 10,000 to 12,000 cases are reported in the state each year, the Centers for Disease Control estimates that number of Lyme cases is about ten times the reported number — potentially as many as 100,000 cases across Pennsylvania, or about one case for every 100 people.
Dr. Casale points out that the disease can lead to inflammation of the membranes around the brain, facial paralysis and numbness and weakness of the muscles, though the sign most often associated with Lyme disease is the bullseye rash that can form around the site of the tick bite.
Not everyone who contracts Lyme disease develops the rash, however, and the disease can be notoriously difficult to diagnose.
Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics, especially when detected and treated early, but prevention is the best defense against Lyme disease and DTV, both of which can have serious and long-lasting impacts on your health, Dr. Casale adds.
If you live or regularly spend time in an area known for deer ticks:
• Wear long pants and sleeves while outside
• Use a chemical insect repellent with DEET, permethrin or picaridin
• Check yourself and your pets for ticks when you return indoors
• Shower soon after spending time outdoors
Ticks can gravitate toward hard-to-see places on your body, like your armpits, groin or scalp, so be sure to inspect yourself thoroughly.
If you do find a tick or tick bite, Dr. Casale notes that the tick needs to be burrowed in for a certain period of time to transmit Lyme disease. If you think the tick may have been on you for 24 hours or more, contact your primary care physician and discuss your risks.
For more information, also visit www.health.pa.gov.
— Times Leader