How to Prevent Lyme Disease This Summer – Harvard Gazette

Chances of contracting Lyme disease from tick bites in warm weather keep rising. This is due to a combination of factors, including climate change, where tick populations persist for longer periods, and the parasite’s range expansion south and west from historically high-risk areas in the Northeast and Midwest. It is said that it is due toof Companion Animal Parasite Council. The Gazette reached out to refresh readers on how to avoid contracting Lyme disease. Nancy Shaddick, a rheumatologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a clinical epidemiologist who has studied the disease since the 1990s. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Official Gazette: Have you seen an increase in the incidence of Lyme disease in the last 5-10 years?

Shaddick: Lyme disease remains the most common vector-borne disease. Infections continue to spread in endemic areas such as the upper Midwest and Northeast, but are also spreading downwards into the Mid-Atlantic region and upwards into the upper Northeast. For example, climate change and rising temperatures have spread Lyme disease to Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

Official Gazette: Is climate change the main reason for the increase?

Shaddick: There is also an increase in general awareness and reporting. For example, the CDC is now reporting both confirmed and probable cases of Lyme disease.

Official Gazette: There are certain geographic areas within the country that are considered high risk. What other factors make a region high risk?

Shaddick: Areas with dense forests or dense foliage (suburban or rural) tend to have more cases of Lyme disease. Ticks live in wooded areas and bushes. So you won’t get that in urban areas with less greenery for example. Golf courses are dangerous. When a golfer hits a golf ball into bushes, they leave a well-maintained golf course and enter bushes, which can be a place where mites abound. The presence of white-tailed deer is another indicator of the possible presence of Lyme disease and small mammals such as white-footed mice that may be carriers.

Official Gazette: And are ticks all bad? Or specifically deer ticks?

Shaddick: Lyme disease is transmitted by deer ticks, also known as black-legged ticks. Other ticks, such as dog ticks, can carry other diseases, but not Lyme disease.

Official Gazette: Who is most at risk of infection?

Shaddick: In general, the age distribution of Lyme disease is bimodal, with the highest prevalence in children aged 5-9 years. In addition, the proportion of men affected by the disease is increasing. From 1992 to her 2016 period, the male to female prevalence ratio for most age groups was 39 to 89 percent higher for her.

Official Gazette: how about pets? Are they at risk of transmitting Lyme disease or at risk of getting Lyme disease themselves?

Shaddick: Yes, pets can bring mites into your home. For example, if your dog is running in the woods, comes into your home and sits on furniture or sleeps in your bed with you, it is more likely to be bitten by a tick. Also, dogs can get Lyme disease, but there are certain precautions we don’t have yet, such as vaccinations. Dogs can be vaccinated and many are treated for ticks and fleas to prevent tick bites.

Official Gazette: What can I do to protect myself if I spend a lot of time outdoors in the summer?

Shaddick: Be aware of your environment. When hiking, stay on the trail. You should protect your clothes from mites by wearing a repellent containing DEET. There are other repellents that contain more natural repellents, such as lemon oil and eucalyptus, but they are not as effective at repelling mites. If possible, wear light-colored clothing to make ticks easier to spot. Wear long pants and tuck them into your socks. And the most important thing you should do is perform a tick check every time you go to an area where there may be a lot of ticks. It generally takes 36 hours for a tick to infect a person, so if you check for ticks later that evening, you can be sure you weren’t bitten. Ticks love to bite in warm, moist places, so check all areas of your body, especially elbows, the backs of your knees, and your neck for wrinkles.