GROWING NUMBER OF CASES OF A DIFFERENT ILLNESS. JAMIE THAT’S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. IT’S CALLED THE BOXES. AND UNLIKE LYME DISEASE OR OTHER, MORE COMMON TICK BORNE ILLNESSES, IT’S ACTUALLY CAUSED BY A PARASITE THAT’S PICKED UP FROM TAKES ON THE GROUND AND THEN TRANSMITTED TO HUMANS WHEN WE ARE BIT BY THEN. NOW, RESEARCHERS HAVE BEEN TRACKING IT FOR ABOUT THE LAST DECADE OR SO. THEY’VE SEEN MORE THAN A 370% INCREASE IN CASES FROM 2011 THROUGH 2019. NOW, MOST PEOPLE WHO GET THAT INFECTION ARE FINE, SOME EXPERIENCE, SOME MILD SYMPTOMS, THINGS LIKE A FEVER, BODY ACHES AND CHILLS, BUT ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE WEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEMS. THE CDC DOES WARN THAT INFECTION CAN BE SERIOUS OR EVEN LIFE THREATENING. NEIGHBORING STATES LIKE MAINE, MASSACHUSETTS AND VERMONT HAVE ALL SEEN AN INCREASE IN THAT DISEASE AS WELL. RESEARCHERS SAY THAT WARMING WINTERS ARE LEADING TO GROWING TICK POPULATIONS AND A BOOM IN TICK BORNE ILLNESSES LIKE THE THIS THE CDC AND STATE LEVEL AGENCIES ARE CLOSELY TRACKING ITS SPREAD ALONG WITH THE SPREAD OF OTHER THINGS LIKE LYME DISEASE. NOW, THE POSITIVE NEWS HERE IS THE PREVENTION METHODS ARE THINGS THAT ARE ALL VERY FAMILIAR TO US WITH HEARING ABOUT LYME DISEASE, LYME DISEASE FOR SO MANY YEARS, THINGS LIKE WEARING LONG SLEEVES, LONG PANTS, WEARING REPELLENT, AND DOING TICK CHECKS AFTER BEING OUTDOORS CAN ALL HELP PREVENT
Babesiosis, a tick-borne disease, is on the rise in Northeast, according to CDC report
It was already considered an endemic in 10 states.
Updated: 4:29 AM EDT Mar 18, 2023
Tick-borne disease has been on the rise in the U.S., with the number of cases growing 25% from 2011 to 2019. Among them is babesiosis, which has become significantly more prevalent in the Northeast in recent years.Seven states were already considered to have endemic transmission of babesiosis, with a consistent presence of the disease: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. A new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added three others to that list — Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont — where case rates have grown the fastest and now match or surpass other states.Video above: New Hampshire is one of the states where tick-borne illness is on the riseIn those 10 states, reported cases of babesiosis have increased in all but two: Minnesota and Wisconsin, where case rates were about 30% lower in 2019 than they were in 2011. Overall, more than 16,000 cases of babesiosis have been reported to the CDC between 2011 and 2019, according to the report.Symptoms of the disease include fever, muscle and joint pain and headache. Illness can range from mild to severe, and it can be fatal in rare cases. Infections can also be asymptomatic, so patients may not always know to be tested.Video below: How to prevent tick bites and when to go see your doctor if you get oneThe CDC cautions that the increasing prevalence of babesiosis could pose risks to the blood supply. The disease is transmissible through blood transfusion, and infections acquired this way have shown to have significantly worse outcomes and higher risk of death than those acquired through a tick bite, the report says. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently recommends blood donation screening for babesiosis in 14 states and Washington, D.C., in and around areas where transmission is endemic."Persons spending time outdoors in states with endemic babesiosis should practice tick bite prevention, including wearing long pants, avoiding underbrush and long grass, and using tick repellents," according to the CDC.
Tick-borne disease has been on the rise in the U.S., with the number of cases growing 25% from 2011 to 2019. Among them is babesiosis, which has become significantly more prevalent in the Northeast in recent years.
Seven states were already considered to have endemic transmission of babesiosis, with a consistent presence of the disease: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. A new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added three others to that list — Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont — where case rates have grown the fastest and now match or surpass other states.
Video above: New Hampshire is one of the states where tick-borne illness is on the rise
In those 10 states, reported cases of babesiosis have increased in all but two: Minnesota and Wisconsin, where case rates were about 30% lower in 2019 than they were in 2011.
Overall, more than 16,000 cases of babesiosis have been reported to the CDC between 2011 and 2019, according to the report.
Symptoms of the disease include fever, muscle and joint pain and headache. Illness can range from mild to severe, and it can be fatal in rare cases. Infections can also be asymptomatic, so patients may not always know to be tested.
Video below: How to prevent tick bites and when to go see your doctor if you get one
The CDC cautions that the increasing prevalence of babesiosis could pose risks to the blood supply. The disease is transmissible through blood transfusion, and infections acquired this way have shown to have significantly worse outcomes and higher risk of death than those acquired through a tick bite, the report says.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently recommends blood donation screening for babesiosis in 14 states and Washington, D.C., in and around areas where transmission is endemic.
"Persons spending time outdoors in states with endemic babesiosis should practice tick bite prevention, including wearing long pants, avoiding underbrush and long grass, and using tick repellents," according to the CDC.
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