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Lyme Disease Is Spreading Throughout Northeast, "In All Directions"
By
Lauren Evans
Published Jul 16, 2015
Modified Jul 16, 2015
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By
Lauren Evans
Published Jul 16, 2015
Modified Jul 16, 2015
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Nature is all around usnot so much a thing here, but that doesn't mean its unsavory by-products aren't coming for us. Lyme disease, which is transmitted through tick bites, is growing increasingly pervasive throughout the northeast.
According to a study from the Center for Disease Control, there are at least 260 counties with double the expected Lyme disease cases—up 130 from the previous decade.
"The risk is expanding, in all directions," said the study's lead author, Kiersten Kugeler.
There are currently 17 states—including New York—that contain high risk counties.
Scientists are unsure what's causing the spread, though they hypothesize it's related to changes in the environment. "With the change in the temperature over the last, probably, 30 to 40 years, it has increased the rate of the tick reproduction—so they are laying more eggs," Dr. Bernard Raxlen, a Lyme disease specialist, told CBS.
According to the CDC, Lyme disease symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called "erythema migrans." If left untreated, the infection can cause arthritis and more severe problems.
It's something to be wary of if you're planning to venture into the woods. In the city, though, you're probably safe. We don't have much by way of "wildlife" around here. Obviously.
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