100% of the U.S is Now Subject to Lyme Disease
Here’s some shocking news folks, but by no means surprising really, considering how rapidly Lyme disease has been travelling across the U.S. A report has been released that 100% of the United States is now subject to this tick borne illness. Here’s an article with some more information.
The Big Number: Lyme disease is now in 100 percent of the U.S.
If you thought you were safe from Lyme disease because you don’t live in New England, where the tick-borne illness first appeared, think again. Now, 100 percent of the country — all 50 states plus the District — has residents who have tested positive for Lyme, a bacterial infection that can cause a wide variety of symptoms, including joint aches, fatigue, facial palsy and neck stiffness.
Lyme disease is a big problem, and it’s only going to get worse, which is why we need to do all we can, and take responsibility for our own protection. This video shows how rapidly the disease spread between 2001 and 2016.
The basics about protecting yourself from ticks
Ticks can be found in different kinds of terrain, at different times of the year, in different kinds of weather. They come in different sizes. Many are quite small, as easily overlooked as a speck of dirt. They tend to be near the ground—in decomposed leaves, grasses, bushes, fallen logs and on the lower part of tree trunks. When you brush by them, they may transfer to your shoe, your pant leg or your arm. Sometimes ticks hitch a ride on your dog’s fur. And then come on over to you when they get the chance.
If you are concerned that you may have been infected with Lyme disease, then it’s important you get yourself checked out by a medical professional as soon as possible.
The importance of early diagnosis in Lyme disease
Lyme disease is a tick-borne zoonosis caused by the spirochaete Borrelia burgdorferi. It occurs in endemic foci at temperate latitudes of the northern hemisphere. In Europe, it is endemic from southern Scandinavia into northern Italy, Spain and Greece. In the US, highly endemic areas are the north-eastern and north-central US.1 Transmission of the disease has not been documented in the tropics.
Most cases occur in the summer, coinciding with tick activity, although they can present throughout the year.
Let’s try and slow these suckers down from making their travels. Invest in tick control, wear appropriate clothing when you’re venturing into a potential tick habitat, and know how to remove a tick, should you find one on your skin.
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