Union County Tick And Mosquito Infections By The Numbers

UNION COUNTY, NJ — The potential to get infected with West Nile Virus or Lyme Disease has surged across the Garden State, including in Union County, in recent years, according to the state Department of Health.

Of the 245 mosquito pools tested for West Nile Virus in 2017, 100 tested positive for the disease, the third highest in New Jersey, numbers from the DOH show.

Bergen County had the highest number of positives with 125 followed by Gloucester with 103.

Lyme disease cases are also on the rise. In 2015, the most recent year numbers available, Union County reported 107 cases, which came in at the 17th highest among New Jersey's 21 counties. Morris County had the most cases reported with 572.

The number of Lyme disease cases increased by 17 percent in the whole state from 2016 to 2017 and they've more than doubled since 2006, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 2,432 cases in New Jersey. Last year, there were 5,091, according to the state Department of Health.

Other tick-borne illnesses rose by 36 percent from 2016 to 2017, according to the state Department of Health.

On top of that, a rare, potentially deadly tick-borne disease infected four people in New Jersey last year and health officials say it could be worse than Lyme disease. Four such cases appeared in 2017. Read more: Dangerous Tick-Borne Disease Spreads To NJ, CDC Warns

Also, a rare and exotic East Asian tick that was found on a Hunterdon County farm last fall has survived the winter, and has made its way into Union County, authorities confirmed last week. Read more: Rare Tick Located In Union County.

For the full state listing click here.

(Image via Shutterstock)

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