Tis The Season: 'Multiple Diseases From A Single Tick Bite'

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Lyme disease is the one most people have heard of — it's the most common disease spread by ticks in New York — but the blacklegged deer tick, carrier of Lyme, also causes anaplasmosis, babesiosis and Powassan virus disease.

"All of these tick-borne diseases are emerging infectious diseases, in that they're increasing in geographical spread and number of cases," Dana G. Mordue, Associate Professor of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology at New York Medical College in Westchester County, told Patch.

For example, Putnam health officials last week reported more cases than average of anaplasmosis in local residents so far this year.

"The Surveillance data from the Putnam County Department of Health shows 36 cases recorded for the first six months of 2023," they said in an online post. "This number is on par with counts seen in the first six months of 2021, the year with the highest case count on record, and may continue to increase with investigations still ongoing."

In 2021, there were 47 confirmed cases of anaplasmosis in Putnam in the first half of the year, nearly doubling the average 26 cases the county had seen in each of the previous five years.

An advisory was sent to healthcare providers across the county on Monday.

"Anaplasma actually has been a problem in this area for quite some time," Dr. Mordue said. "The numbers ebb and flow, but seem to be up just now. What's not clear is why it has increased."

Anaplasmosis is closely related to ehrlichiosis genetically, though they're bacteria transmitted by different kinds of ticks. In New York State, most cases of both have been reported in the Hudson Valley and on Long Island.

Formerly called human granulocytic ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis is spread to humans by infected young blacklegged deer ticks in their nymph stage. Ehrlichiosis, or human monocytic ehrlichiosis, is spread to humans by infected lone star ticks.

Anaplasmosis can occur at any time of the year. Cases typically peak in June and July, coinciding with the active season of the nymphs, who are tiny.

It doesn't come with the bullseye rash that helps identify Lyme. Symptoms typically begin one to two weeks after the bite of an infected tick. They include fever, chills, headaches, and muscle aches. Anaplasmosis can cause severe illness in the elderly, if treatment is delayed, or if other medical conditions are present. Prompt treatment reduces the risk of severe illness.

The blacklegged deer tick is very small, and the nymphs are smaller than a poppy seed, Dr. Mordue said.

That means sometimes their bites go undetected. The Putnam County Department of Health recommends residents seek medical care if they become ill with symptoms compatible with anaplasmosis, even if they are not aware of having been bitten by a tick.

There are always seasonal rises in cases in spring and summer, though mild winters with less snow can mean that ticks come out earlier. The changing climate has both positive and negative implications for ticks, as warm, wet weather is beneficial to them, but especially hot weather is not, the Associated Press reported.

Scientists are seeing a gradual spread of tick-borne diseases, with "Lyme perhaps being more on the leading edge," Dr. Mordue said. "Babesia, which is spreading now, used to be mostly on Nantucket and Long Island."

The deer population is partly responsible, and also migration of rodents that carry ticks, she said.

"I think the ticks are more abundant," she said. "And as you can imagine, since I study tick-borne diseases I'm quite mindful of where I'm walking."

The sooner an attached tick is removed, the less likely it is to transmit bacteria or parasites.

"For most of these diseases except for Powassan, it's at least 24 hours," Dr. Mordue said. "For Powassan it's like 15 minutes."

She recommends wearing light-colored clothes when you're spending time outdoors, specially in tall grass, and long pants tucked into socks when you're hiking. Use picaridin or DEET insect repellents.

When you return home, carefully examine and remove any ticks on your clothes, gear, children and pets.

"If I have been out and about, aside from looking myself over, I take a shower and wash my hair," Dr. Mordue said. "Check the hairline, behind the ears, under the arms, along the groin. Ticks like tight compacted places."

Putnam health officials also suggest: Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks. If clothing is wet, additional time in the dryer is needed.

If you find a tick attached, don't try the old trick of putting the head of a just-lit match to the body to make its head withdraw. Use good tweezers, get as close to the head as you can, and pull back gradually, Dr. Mordue said.

Just don't skip those checks.

"One thing I tell my students is that this area is so endemic you can easily get multiple diseases from a single tick bite," she said.

For more information on ticks and tick-borne diseases visit the New York state health department website.