Allegheny County residents warned of Increased risk for ticks and Lyme disease

The Department of Health has reported a rise in emergency department visits throughout the state.

By MEGAN TROTTER
TribLive

As Allegheny County residents step outside to enjoy near-record heat this week, local health experts are warning about the dangers of Lyme disease after an unusually high number of tick bites reported across the country.

In April, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an early advisory urging the public to guard against ticks, as reported by The Associated Press. The agency’s tracking system showed weekly emergency room visits for tick bites were at their highest for this time of year since 2017.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported increased emergency department visits in nearly all regions of the state, with Lyme disease identified as the most commonly reported tick-borne disease, according to the department’s April report.

“The Allegheny County Health Department does not track the number of tick bites in the county. However, the health department does track tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease,” said Ronnie Das, spokesman for the Allegheny County Health Department .

From Jan. 1 and May 17, there have been 387 cases of Lyme disease identified among Allegheny County residents. Das said.

Graham Snyder, an infectious disease expert at UPMC, said that physician awareness and increased testing make tick-borne diseases more likely to be recognized and diagnosed. At the same time, he said, there is an increase in both the fre-information quency of infections and the geographic spread of disease-canying ticks. “I would advise people, if you are in an area where you have ticks and you have exposure to ticks very often, and you’re concerned about fever, joint pains, nerve symptoms, particularly nerve weakness or heart rhythms, then talk with your doctor. It could be Lyme disease,” Snyder said.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread to people through tick bites. The typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue and a skin rash. If left untreated, the infection can spread, affecting the joints, heart and nervous system, according to the CDC.