Hillsborough County Has High Rate of Lyme Disease

By MARTIN BURCH

Hillsborough County in 2012 had the second highest number of confirmed and probable cases of Lyme disease, the Centers for Disease Control reports.

This map shows confirmed and probable cases of Lyme disease by county as reported to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services in 2012.

There were 429 confirmed and probable case of Lyme disease in Hillsborough County in 2012. Rockingham County was the only one with more cases, coming in at 550.

Lyme disease affects more than 30,000 people in the US each year and is the leading disease transmitted through bug bites, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Anyone can get it.

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. The ticks are most commonly found in moist, wooded areas because they’re susceptible to drying out.

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 must be removed within 36-48 hours in order to prevent the transmission of bacteria. 

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. Lyme Disease survivor Katina Makris told Patch she was misdiagnosed for five years.

“I called it my full-life tsunami,” she said.

Then 42, Makris was bedridden with flu-like symptoms. She said that as a result, her marriage crumbled, she lost her job and then had to sell her house to pay for medical bills. 

And while researchers work to develop a vaccine, 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

According to the CDC, 10-20 percent of those diagnosed with Lyme disease, particularly those who weren't diagnosed early, will see persistent symptoms even with antibiotic treatment. The upside is that the treatment for Lyme disease is very effective when caught in the early stages. Most diagnosed with Lyme disease will see success with the antibiotic doxycycline and their symptoms clear up in a matter of days or weeks.