Washington Examiner
Betty Hutcheson doesn't remember the tick bite that most likely developed into Lyme disease. The tiny insect probably nibbled at her skin as she was tending to her 25-acre farm in Rappahannock County.
But after exhaustion and "terrible" headaches began to debilitate Hutcheson a few years ago, she saw a doctor in Pittsburgh who diagnosed her with Lyme disease.
"Sometimes you really don't feel like moving," said Hutcheson, 70. "Because you're so sore and your bones hurt, you just can't do whatever it is you used to do anymore."
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted to humans by deer ticks. Left untreated, Lyme disease can cause arthritic symptoms and can lead to more serious conditions that affect the brain, said Lucy Caldwell, Virginia Department of Health spokeswoman.
Hutcheson said she was fortunate to have managed the disease well, but her daughter developed viral meningitis and lost her hearing after developing Lyme disease about five years ago. Last year Hutcheson's 9-year-old granddaughter developed the disease after a tick bit her on the stomach, leaving a "bull's-eye rash," the trademark symptom of Lyme disease. However, often the rash doesn't appear, making it harder to diagnose Lyme disease.
"It's something I really don't wish on my worst enemy," Hutcheson said.
To date, 38 cases of Lyme disease have been reported in Virginia, Caldwell said. Of those, 31 are in Northern Virginia, with most being in Loudoun County. This time last year, there had been 13 cases reported in the entire state, Caldwell said.
Loudoun's booming population, "strong rural component" and increased awareness all factor into the county's disproportionate rate, said David Goodfriend, director of the Loudoun County Health Department.
"More and more people are coming into contact with the ticks," he said. "As we've tried to educate the community, more and more people are going to the doctor if they see a rash or have a summer cold."
Last year 111 of Maryland's 891 cases of Lyme disease came from Montgomery and Prince George's counties, said John Hammond, spokesman for the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
"It's unclear how many confirmed cases we have against reported cases," Hammond said, referring to 2005 statistics.
The District has confirmed three cases of Lyme disease this year, said Phillippa Mezile, communications officer at the D.C. Department of Health.
Lyme disease is common to certain areas of the country, including states along the mid-Atlantic coastline, Caldwell said, and is seasonal, peaking from May through October.
The best cure for Lyme disease is prevention
Virginia Department of Health spokeswoman Lucy Caldwell offers these hints for warding off ticks and disease:
Pay attention to what you wear.
"If you're going to be entering an area infested with ticks, like tall grass or a densely wooded area, wear long-sleeved shirts, tuck pants into socks or wear high rubber boots," Caldwell said. Loose, light-colored clothing also makes spotting ticks easier.
Check your body.
"Ticks crawl on areas of your body and you never even notice," Caldwell said. Some favorite tick hangouts are underarms, the back and behind the neck near the scalp, she said. Caldwell suggests tying long hair back before going outside.
Clean up.
Reduce the number of ticks around the house by getting rid of leaves and woodpiles, Caldwell said.
If you do spot a tick on your skin, be careful how you remove it.
"There are a lot of old wives' tales about how to remove a tick," Caldwell said. "Using nail polish, petroleum jelly, alcohol or hot matches are not safe ways to remove a tick."
The easiest way to remove a tick, Caldwell said, is by grasping the tick with a pair of fine-point tweezers as close to the skin as possible and pulling the tick away from the body.