MOUNT VERNON — Lyme disease cases are climbing in Knox County, and health officials are trying to educate the community on how to stay safe from the vector-borne illness.
The year-to-date total of Lyme disease cases is 90, according to Knox Public Health epidemiologist David Hatley’s July communicable disease report, with 51 confirmed and 39 unconfirmed.
The threshold for a typical number Lyme disease cases was 12 for July; it was surpassed by 25 cases.
Hatley notes the threshold break for Lyme disease cases “underscores the importance of implementing targeted interventions, enhanced surveillance efforts and strengthening public awareness campaigns.”
“We must intensify our efforts in vector control strategies as well as educating healthcare providers on tick borne infections such as Anaplasmosis and Lyme disease,” Hatley wrote in his report.
Hatley said confirmed cases are a “little behind” the total of 69 recorded last year.
“But we still have a long way to go,” Hatley said. “So while we’re seeing an increase I think that’s a multifaceted question. I think there’s several answers to it.
“I think a lot of it has to do with land fragmentation as you separate out forests and put houses in between them,” he said. “Deer have to cross your yard. Mice have to cross your yard. Before, when they had large forested areas to stay in, they rarely left those.”
Education is vital for decrease in Lyme disease cases
Health Commissioner Zach Green, along with Hatley, emphasized the need of education to slow down the spread of Lyme disease cases.
“Our marketing team has done a great job of just identifying how small (these ticks) truly are … and that Lyme disease is year-round,” Green said.
Health department officials visit schools and educate kids about what ticks look like, when to watch out for ticks and what a tick looks like, Hatley said.
The typical knowledge of tick season being from spring to summer isn’t true anymore, Green said, with the possibility of ticks being found in February when it’s negative 10 degrees.
“It’s here and it’s here to stay,” Green said.
Veterinarian Amanda Rogers said she’s seeing more anaplasmosis cases as well.
“We used to never see anaplasma and now we’re seeing dogs with multiple tick-borne infections,” she said.
The difference between the canine Lyme and human Lyme is that dogs don’t talk and humans do, said Dr. Barry George.
“They’re not able to express their symptoms other than just physical signs. One of the most common symptoms is just unexplained fatigue,” George said.
George recounted how a primary care doctor who believed a patient’s problem was heart related, when it fact it was Lyme disease.
It’s about increasing awareness with primary care doctors, George said.
“Raising awareness is the most beneficial thing you can do is be aware of what’s going on, check yourself for ticks when you’re done hiking, take a shower, do a tick search and prevent it that way,” Hatley said. “Prevention’s the best that way.”