Disease vector ticks spread in New York: how to protect yourself

With the onset of warmth in New York, tick-carriers of diseases appear en masse. We will tell you about what ailments they spread and how to protect yourself from them.

The Tangamani lab is testing ticks caught in New York State and sent to specialists from across the region. Since the program launched in April 2019, the lab has tested 7 ticks. Nearly a third of these are carriers of the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, the most common insect-borne disease in the United States. Syracuse.

The lab received far fewer ticks this year than in the same period in 2020. In the first three months of 2020, New Yorkers sent 482 ticks to the lab for testing. Tangamani said a total of 59 ticks were admitted to the lab this year from January to March. The reason for the decrease in their number, according to experts, is the cold winter. However, it has already become warmer, and there will be a lot of ticks.

Common in New York City, black-footed ticks can carry a variety of bacteria and viruses that cause a variety of diseases, but the most common is the Lyme disease bacterium (Borrelia burgdorferi). According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 476 people in the United States are diagnosed with Lyme disease every year, although many more cases are never diagnosed or reported. New York City's Central Lyme Disease and Tick Alliance reports that only 000 in 1 cases makes it to the CDC's registries.

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Ticks in New York State also carry other diseases, including anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and borreliosis. The percentage of ticks carrying these diseases, according to experts, is increasing.

Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases are treatable with antibiotics, but are difficult to diagnose. There is no vaccine, so the only way to protect yourself from ticks and the diseases they carry is by avoiding their bites.

How to avoid tick bites

1. Wear light-colored, heavy-duty clothing. A dark-colored tick can be easily seen on it.
2. Wear closed shoes, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt. Tuck your pants into your socks or boots, and your shirt into your pants.
3. Check clothing and exposed skin frequently for mites.
4. Use insect repellent whenever possible.
5. Take a bath or shower as soon as possible after entering the house (preferably within two hours) to rinse off or quickly detect ticks on your body.

How to remove a tick if you find one

To remove a tick from the skin, take it with tweezers as close to its mouth and as close to the skin as possible, and gently pull it out without twisting. To transmit Lyme disease, the tick must be attached to the skin for 24 to 48 hours.

Symptoms that should alert you

If you find a tick on your body and remove it, then monitor yourself for symptoms of Lyme disease to speed up the diagnosis.

Lyme disease symptoms

Early symptoms usually appear within 3-30 days after being bitten by an infected tick.

In 60 to 80% of cases, a rash or hard spot appears about two inches (5 cm) in diameter (around or near the bite site). Sometimes multiple patches of rash appear.

Early stage Lyme disease is usually characterized by one or more of the following symptoms: chills and fever, headache, fatigue, neck stiffness, muscle and / or joint pain, and swollen glands.

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If Lyme disease is not recognized and treated early, more serious symptoms can occur. As the disease progresses, severe fatigue and neck pain, tingling or numbness in the arms and legs, and facial nerve palsy may occur.

The most serious symptoms of Lyme disease may not appear until a few weeks, months, or even years after a tick bite. These are severe headaches, painful arthritis, joint swelling, as well as problems with the heart and central nervous system.

If you find a tick in your yard, on the body, or even on your pet, send it for testing to a tick lab to see if it is a carrier of the disease. Submission instructions - here to register:.