Lyme disease cases on the rise

Northwestern
With summer comes the sun and fun, but with that continues to be the concern of Lyme disease.

"This is the time of year to get it. People are outside and more likely to be exposed," said Becky Dougherty of Portage County Health and Human Services.

There was a spike in cases last year with 106, up from 74 the previous year. To date, Dougherty said, the county has 40 reported cases through the first seven months of this year.

Neighboring counties also are seeing some rises in reported cases.

The number of reported cases in Wood County has grown steadily during the past six years.
In 1999, Wood County had 30 reported cases of the disease. During the first six months of this year, the Wood County Health Department received 40 reports, said director Sue Kunferman.

"What concerns me is, people are more aware of Lyme disease, and they're still getting infected," Kunferman said.
The disease starts with a circular rash in the area of the tick bite. The rash expands over a period of days or weeks. Other symptoms, including fever, headache, fatigue, stiff neck, muscle or joint pain, can last several weeks.

About 60 percent of untreated patients develop arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling. And about 5 percent of untreated patients develop chronic neurological complaints, Kunferman said.
Deer ticks, which feed on the blood of white-tailed deer, other mammals and birds, spread the Lyme disease bacteria to people.
Checking for ticks after people have been in a wooded area is a good idea, Kunferman said. A tick must be attached to a person for about 24 hours before it can transmit the disease.

Mindy and David Mock of Port Edwards make sure they check their daughters, Vanessa, 9, and Natalie, 2, for ticks - although the bugs aren't a big concern for them.
"We check the kids' heads for ticks," said David Mock, who camped with his family at South Wood County Park this week. "So far, we haven't seen anything."
Kunferman recommends wearing light-colored clothing so you can see a tick if one lands on you. Long pants tucked into socks and long-sleeved shirts also keep ticks from getting onto your skin.

Although the number of reported cases of Lyme disease have continued to increase each year, Kunferman believes the actual number of cases is much higher than those reported. The bull's-eye rash, an early sign of infection, has become well known and many physicians start treatment immediately without testing for the disease.