Lyme Disease Sickens More In NY Than Almost Any Other State: CDC

NEW YORK – Lyme disease has infected more people in New York than in almost any other U.S. state, according to government figures released as the latest tick season starts.

The illness was confirmed in 3,502 patients in the state in 2017, the most recent year that the numbers are available. Another 1,653 cases weren't confirmed but are deemed likely to be Lyme disease.

Only Pennsylvania and New Jersey had more confirmed cases, with 9,250 and 3,629 respectively. Most states had far fewer – after New York, Wisconsin was the state with the fourth most cases, with just 1,794, according to the Centers For Disease Control.

The sickness is caused by a bacteria transmitted to humans by blacklegged ticks. Symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue and a skin rash. If it's untreated, it can affect the heart, joints and nervous system.

Blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, are just one species of the tiny arachnid found in New York. Others include:

American Dog Tick

Disease transmitted: Tularemia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Brown Dog Tick

Disease transmitted: Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Lone Star Tick

Diseases transmitted: Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Ehrlichia ewingii (which cause human ehrlichiosis), Heartland virus, tularemia, and STARI.

When ticks hatch from eggs, they have to “eat blood at every stage to survive,” according to the CDC. They range in size from less than one-eighth of an inch up to about five-eighths of an inch and find their hosts by detecting breath, body odor, body heat, moisture and vibration.

“Some species can even recognize a shadow,” the CDC wrote. “In addition, ticks pick a place to wait by identifying well-used paths. Then they wait for a host, resting on the tips of grasses and shrubs.”

Once on the skin, the tick inserts its feeding tube, which sometimes has barbs to keep the bug in place. Many species also secrete a cement-like substance to keep them firmly attached.

As with any health problem, prevention should be your first line of defense. The CDC recommends treating your clothing, shoes and camping gear with permethrin. You can apply a bug repellent that’s registered by the Environmental Protection Agency and should avoid wooded or bushy areas with high grass and leaves. Moreover, you should always check clothing and animals when going back indoors and shower soon thereafter. Ticks are known to be found under the arms, in and around ears, in the belly button, groin area, back of the knees and even around the hair.

If you find a tick, remove it as soon as possible using fine-tipped tweezers. Make sure to pull straight up with steady, even pressure to ensure part of the tick doesn’t break off in the skin. Once it’s out, clean the bite area with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.