Recent tracking rule changes have led to a significant increase in Lyme disease cases reported in the US
The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have updated definitions to better understand tick-borne diseases. After the new definition took effect, reported cases increased by 68.5% in 2022.
“A new case definition for Lyme disease will allow us to better understand the number of Lyme disease cases in areas with high Lyme disease incidence and will improve our understanding of Lyme disease and its impact on people living in the United States.” “,” said Dr. Bobby Pruitt. , Director of the Mayo Clinic Clinical Parasitology Laboratory.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by the bite of an infected black-footed tick, commonly known as the deer tick.
It is most common in the upper Midwest, Northeast, and mid-Atlantic states. It is also common in Europe, Asia, and south-central and southeastern Canada.
symptoms
Patients may exhibit a rash at the site of the tick bite, typically an eye rash. However, this is not always the case.
“Some people also don't know whether the rash is on the back of their head or in other hard-to-see and hard-to-reach areas. If the infection is not treated quickly, patients can later progress to symptoms such as: “Other symptoms can also be seen, such as disseminated rash, joint pain, arthritis, and even neurological involvement. It can also cause unilateral facial paralysis called Bell's palsy.” says Dr. Plitt.
Laboratory tests can help confirm or rule out a diagnosis of Lyme disease. Dr. Plitt said Mayo Clinic Laboratories performs more than 300,000 tests for tick-borne diseases each year.
When to seek medical care
Dr. Plitt says finding a tick and removing it immediately is not a reason to seek medical attention, especially for people who live in places where ticks are common.
However, “If a patient lives in an area where Lyme disease is common, finding a tick that has been attached for more than 24 hours, and ideally for more than 36 hours, is enough to prompt the patient to go to the hospital.” 'Ask your doctor if you need to prescribe antibiotics to prevent Lyme disease,' she says.
“If a person is exposed to ticks in the spring, summer, or fall and becomes ill, they may experience symptoms such as a rash, headache, or fever, all of which may be signs of a tick-borne illness. ,” Lime said. And that should prompt them to see a doctor,” says Dr. Pruitt.
prevention
The best way to avoid infection is to avoid tick bites. Dr. Pritt says it's important to protect yourself from tick bites. Avoiding tick bites protects you from Lyme disease as well as many other tick-borne infections.
Tick bite prevention tips:
●Avoid areas where ticks often occur as much as possible.
●Please use a repellent containing 30% or more DEET.
•Wear clothing that covers your arms and legs.
•Tuck your pants into your socks while hiking.
“I also like lemon eucalyptus oil, which has been shown by the Environmental Protection Agency to be about as effective as DEET, and smells a little better. It also works well if you spray permethrin on your clothes. This also repels and even kills ticks, and says, “Just covering them with clothing to keep ticks off your skin is enough. If you tuck your pants into your socks, ticks can get into your legs and bite you.'' “It would take away their routes to get there,” she says.
___
©2024 Mayo Clinic News Network. Visit newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
