Battle Continues Against Lyme And Tick-Borne Diseases In Chester County

PA continues to lead the nation in Lyme disease and that number is expected to rise, officials said. Local lawmakers are responding by leading the fight to gain funding to implement the recommendations of the state's Task Force on Lyme and Related Tick-Borne Diseases.

The report outlines a series of measures to combat, prevent, and treat the growing threat of tick diseases locally and across the state.

“Several factors appear to be aligning to make this a very bad year for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases in Pennsylvania and throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions,” said State Sen. Andy Dinniman. “That is all the more reason why we must act and do what we can to increase preventive measures and expand treatment options.”

The report also calls for more information campaigns in high risk areas, earmarking funds for future research, and partnering with healthcare providers to improve testing.

Pennsylvania has ranked highest in the nation in confirmed cases of Lyme disease for five years running, according to the Centers for Disease Control. From 2002 to 2014, Pennsylvania reported a total of 59,478 confirmed cases of Lyme disease. In 2015, the Commonwealth reported 10,817 new cases and last year it reported 12,092 new cases. That figure is triple the amount reported in New York, which registered the nation’s second-highest total of Lyme disease with 4,002 infections last year, according to Dinniman's office.

The CDC estimates under-reporting at a factor of 10, making new cases in Pennsylvania actually more than 120,000.

Deer ticks, which transmit Lyme, can be found in all 67 of Pennsylvania's counties.

Officials identified numerous factors that point toward a bad year for Lyme disease, including a mild winter, which means that deer ticks began appearing as early as February. Futhermore, white-footed mice, a major carrier of the disease, are appearing in record numbers due to the spread of acorns.

“We are only on the cusp of understanding the dangers and treatment of tick-borne disease and now we must work together to ensure that our lawmakers and the medical community implement policies that are effective in preventing infection and helping patients,” Dinniman said. “It appears that we need to balance and thoroughly review the variety of current and potential treatment and prevention measures that are available.”

Image via State Sen. Dinniman's Office