Ticks Carrying Lyme Roll out In Greater Numbers

Besides the fact that the little buggers can ruin a family vacation, they can also infect us with Lyme disease. Although all of us have taken all the necessary precaution in order to drive the pesky critters away from our homes, it will seem that they won’t easily give up. A new report from the CDC states that ticks carrying Lyme rolls out in greater number, encompassing almost half of the country.

• 45 percent of US counties have been invaded with Lyme-carrying ticks;
• Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus are the two culprits responsible for the transmission of Lyme disease;
• 420 counties have reported cases of Lyme disease;
• In 1998, ticks invaded only 30 percent of the US;
• Lyme disease mimics all the symptoms of the flu.

According to the report posted by CDC, 45 percent of the US is now invaded by Lyme-carrying ticks. It would seem that two species of ticks are capable of carrying the Borrelia burgdorferi, or the bacteria which causes lime disease. The first species of ticks is called Ixodes scapularis, which is also known as deer ticks. There is another species of ticks which is capable of carrying the disease called Ixodes pacificus, or the black-legged ticks.

Tick-wise speaking, it would seem that the situation is quite disproportioned. According to the same report posted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1420 US counties have reported cases of Lyme disease generated by the Ixodes scapularis. On the other hand, the Ixodes pacificus accounts only for a handful of cases reported in approximately 111 counties.

Looking back into the past, we can easily draw the conclusion that since 1998, the number of counties facing tick issues has increased by 15 percent. Moreover, the same report states the fact that Lyme incidence has increased by three times since the 1990s.

Ticks carrying Lyme roll out in greater numbers and the cases of people infected with Lyme disease are increasing. According to the medical literature on the matter, it would seem that Lyme disease is capable of mimicking nearly every flu-related symptoms.

In the first state of the disease, the patients might experience symptoms like headaches, fever and fatigue. More often, people with see a rash or a redness at the site where there were bitten (erythema migrans). As the disease progresses, patients might experience other symptoms like paralysis, joint pains, heart palpitations and a stiffness in the neck.

The disease can be treated with antibiotics, but it must be diagnosed in time in order to prevent the more severe neurological issues. Specialists recommend the public to use insect repellants and to wear long clothes.

 Photo credits:www.wikipedia.org