Spring
officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking
forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The
daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the
yard work that comes with the warmer weather. Sadly, another season has
started ramping up. Tick season.
• The best form of protection is
prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap
with tick habitats is the first step.
• According to the NJ DOH, in 2022
Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases
per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives
not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage
or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented
on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent
attachment to human hosts.
• Governor Murphy has signed a bill
that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the
details. Tick education must now be
incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:
• May is a great month to remind the
public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many
tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis,
Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.
• For years, the focus has mainly
been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne
diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia
and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because
they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma
effects the white blood cells.
• Ticks can be infected with more
than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than
just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to
pay attention to your symptoms. See link.
