Tick-Borne Diseases Hit NY Harder Than Almost Any Other State

NEW YORK, NY – There have been more tick-borne illnesses in New York since 2004 than in almost any other state in the U.S. – and the numbers are rising, according to figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Illnesses spread by the insects doubled across the country between 2004 and 2016. When diseases spread by mosquitoes and fleas were also factored in, numbers tripled.

In New York state, 69,313 diseases that came from ticks were reported in the 12 years. Only Pennsylvania had more, with 73,610, the report said. Mosquito-related diseases were reported 7,167 times in New York.

According to the CDC report, Lyme disease accounted for 82 percent of all tick-borne diseases between 2004 and 2016.

“Zika, West Nile, Lyme, and chikungunya — a growing list of diseases caused by the bite of an infected mosquito, tick, or flea — have confronted the U.S. in recent years, making a lot of people sick. And we don’t know what will threaten Americans next,” CDC Director Robert R. Redfield said in a news release.

“Our Nation’s first lines of defense are state and local health departments and vector control organizations, and we must continue to enhance our investment in their ability to fight against these diseases.”

Tick-borne diseases occur throughout the country but predominate in the eastern parts of the country and along the Pacific Coast.

The CDC identified four other tick-borne diseases; spotted fever rickettsioses, babesiosis, and anaplasmosis/ehrlichiosis, that have all seen a rise in the 13 year period.

According to the CDC, ticks are particularly hard to control. The New York Times reported that ticks need deer or rodents as their main blood hosts and populations of those animals have increased.

The CDC notes that tick-borne pathogens rarely cause sudden epidemics because human are typically incidental hosts that do not transmit further. In comparison, mosquito-borne illnesses are transmitted directly between humans by the insects.

The CDC says their data underestimates disease occurrence and it's estimated that Lyme Disease affects 300,000 Americans every year. Many cases result in minimal symptoms, though it can be debilitating.

The lead author of the CDC study, Dr. Lyle R. Petersen, told the Times that warmer weather is an important cause in the surge but he didn’t directly link the increase to climate change. Petersen also said a lack of vaccines and jet travel were factors in the surge.

The CDC says the burden falls on local health agencies to survey and control ticks and nearly all vector control operations are locally funded and operated. With ticks being difficult to control, the CDC says people must take extra steps to protect themselves.

Here are some steps you can take to prevent yourself from being bitten by a tick (via the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene)

• Stay on cleared paths and hiking trails when walking in heavily wooded areas.

• Wear light-colored, Permethrin-treated clothing to allow you to better see ticks that crawl on your clothing. Wear long-sleeved shirts and tuck your pant legs into your socks so that ticks cannot crawl up the inside of your pant legs.

• Apply repellents containing DEET to prevent ticks from attaching.

• Check for ticks on your body and clothing after returning from wooded, brushy, or tall, grassy areas and remove any ticks you find on you, your child or your pet.

• Keep in mind that young ticks are very small (about the size of a poppy seed), so seek help to inspect not easily reachable areas. Be sure to look carefully in areas of the body where hair is present, since it may make it difficult to see the ticks. Adult ticks are about the size of an apple seed.

• Shower after being in an area with ticks, and promptly put clothes in a dryer on high heat to kill ticks.

• Speak to your vet about tick prevention products for your pet dogs and cats.

• Remove leaf litter and debris to reduce the likelihood of ticks around the home.

• If you get a rash or a fever, let the doctor know if you may have been exposed to ticks, even if you don't remember having a tick bite.

With reporting by Feroze Dhanoa/Patch

Photo: US Dept. of Agriculture