Disease-carrying ticks spring into season

SPARTA - As incidences grow each year throughout the state, Sussex County health officials are trying to become more familiar with the threat of Lyme disease. To Ralph D’Aries, the numbers are more than statistics. The Sparta health officer watched his wife contract the infectious disease a couple of years ago. “Lyme disease is nasty stuff,” he said. “Once you’ve got it, it’s nasty.” Lyme disease is transmitted to humans by the bite of blacklegged ticks infected with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. The Garden State has one of the highest incidence rates of Lyme disease in the nation. Many rural counties, particularly Sussex and Warren, have more cases than more densely populated areas in New Jersey. Health experts attribute the annual statewide increase to changes in how the disease is reported and an increase in the deer population, among other factors. Although increases in Sparta have leveled off from 2005, almost 2,900 cases of Lyme disease have been reported in the state this year. In 2004, the number of cases in Sussex County rose almost 7 percent from those reported during the same period in 1999. D’Aries said doctors or labs are required to submit reports to local health authorities. He said that spring’s thaw kicks off the tick season. Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, including rash, and the likelihood of exposure to infected ticks; laboratory testing is helpful in the later stages of disease. “A lot of doctors are screening more regularly for Lyme disease when you come into their office - probably just to rule it out when you have some aches and pains,” said D’Aries, who says about three to four cases in Sparta come across his desk each week. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, heart and nervous system. Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with a few weeks of antibiotics. D’Aries said his wife is treated with antibiotics, but the disease is difficult to “nip in the bud.” He said she still has an occasional flare-up of symptoms. Steps to prevent Lyme disease include using insect repellent, removing ticks promptly, landscaping and integrated pest management. The ticks that transmit Lyme disease can occasionally transmit other tick-borne diseases as well. “When you’re outside, and you’re coming in, you’ve got to check yourself,” said D’Aries. Pets can be one of the main carriers of Lyme disease, but vetinarians are not required to report confirmed cases.