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Health experts brace for Lyme disease season
Dog ticks most common carrier
June 20, 1997
Web posted at: 10:02 p.m. EDT (0202 GMT)From Correspondent Dan Rutz
NEW YORK (CNN) -- In the spring, a young man's fancy may turn to love, as the saying goes, but the thoughts of many health experts turn to Lyme disease.
Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 16,000 cases of the tick-borne infection, 40 percent higher than the year before. As summer begins, the experts are bracing for what they fear may be another record year.
While the disease is most prevalent in the mid-Atlantic region, it has been documented in 45 states and is a health issue of growing concern.
In many areas, including New York City, dog ticks are the most common carriers of infection. Experts say about three out of 100 dog ticks carry the germ for the Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, a serious and sometimes fatal infection.
Deer ticks, which spread Lyme disease, are not as common as the dog tick, and only half its size. But they have been getting more attention in the past few years.
They are most commonly found in rural or suburban areas where they attach themselves to White Tail Deer and some kinds of mice.
Cases now showing up in cities
The disease has been showing up among city dwellers in recent years, too.
"We've been concerned over the past year or two that we've seen more cases among people who have not traveled outside New York City and who have become infected with Lyme disease," says Dr. Marcelle Layton of the city's Health Department.
Lyme disease usually begins with a skin rash and flu-like symptoms. If treated early, it can usually be cured with antibiotics. Left untreated, it can result in arthritis and even fatal brain infection.
"Most likely, most deer ticks do not carry it, but there is no way to tell by looking at the tick if it's infected or not," Layton says. "That's why our general advice is just to be alert to ticks when you're in areas that are very wooded or brushy or grassy."
Experts advise: Dress appropriately
According to experts, the ticks tend to congregate along pathways where deer, dogs and humans are likely to pass.
Anyone venturing into the woods is advised to wear long sleeves and long pants, and to tuck pant-legs into socks or boots. Insect repellent containing the chemical deet is also recommended.
It usually takes 24 hours for a tick to transmit the disease, and experts encourage a head-to-toe check at least once a day.
If you are bitten by a tick, a gentle tug with tweezers is the recommended way to remove the offender. And be sure to remove the head and mouth parts.
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