Lyme Disease - Rochester, NY area
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Consider the issue of Lyme Disease in the Rochester, NY area.
Page Contents: NewsLinks | Discussions | Resources |
Ticks & Lyme Disease "Lyme Disease and other Tick-borne Diseases The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and local health departments continue to investigate the spread of Lyme disease throughout New York State.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection
caused by the bite of an infected deer tick. Untreated, the disease
can cause a number of health problems.
Patients treated with antibiotics in the early stage of the infection usually recover rapidly and completely.
Since Lyme disease first became reportable in 1986, over 72,000 cases have now been confirmed in New York State." --from New York State Department of Health
Lyme Disease and Climate Change from the IPCC - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change : "Lyme disease is a prevalent tick-borne disease in North America for which there is new evidence of an association with temperature (Ogden et al., 2004) and precipitation (McCabe and Bunnell, 2004). In the field, temperature and vapour pressure contribute to maintaining populations of the tick Ixodes scapularis which, in the U.S., is the micro-organism’s secondary host. A monthly average minimum temperature above -7ºC is required for tick survival (Brownstein et al., 2003). Exposure to both extreme hot and cold weather is associated "Page 625 North America Field, C.B., L.D. Mortsch,, M. Brklacich, D.L. Forbes, P. Kovacs, J.A. Patz, S.W. Running and M.J. Scott, 2007: North America. Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden and C.E. Hanson, Eds., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 617-652.
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Discussion on Lyme Disease
Rochester area discussions about Lyme Disease must concern how the incidents of this disease will increase as the effect of climate change increase.
- Climate Change predicts the spreading of certain diseases—even Lyme Disease in Rochester, NY: Could this story today (see below) about the increase spread of Lyme Disease be related to Climate Change Rise in Lyme disease expected in the Rochester area | Democrat and Chronicle If you say, ‘no’, you are probably wrong. If you say, “It cannot be proved that Climate Change is responsible for the present spread in Lyme Disease in our Rochester, NY region, you are probably right. So, what is the answer and why does it matter? For one, Lyme Disease is a growing threat to our area’s public health, check CDC - Lyme Disease - NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic. For another, trying to determine whether or not a disease like Lyme Disease is spreading because of Climate Change is not a discussion one can determine by checking the Internet or your favorite social media. To find out the answer to this critical question one needs to find a recent thorough study that has focused on this issue. That will require funding of some sort. It will also require that your public health officials and government not be prejudiced against the prevailing scientific judgment that Climate Change is happening and happening quickly and will probably be responsible for the spreading of diseases due to the increased length of time vectors of disease will be able to survive in warmer weather. more...
- Environmental Thoughts - Rochester, NY: How Global Warming Threatens New York - by the NYS AG#links "Feature: Fighting Global Warming How Global Warming Threatens New York Global warming is one of the most important challenges of our time, and presents an acute threat to New York's environment, public health and economy. Some of the grave impacts that unchecked global warming could have on our state include: More Heat - By the end of this century, summertime temperatures in New York may increase by up to 14 degrees Fahrenheit B making our summers feel like those of South Carolina. This more intense and prolonged summer heat could result increased heat-related illnesses, especially in our cities. In New York City, for example, it is estimated that a one degree Fahrenheit increase in average temperatures could more than double heat-related deaths. Higher temperature could also increase smog and the respiratory diseases it causes, especially among children, the elderly, and New Yorkers with existing breathing difficulties. Further, hotter conditions favor the introduction and spread of insect-borne diseases, including Lyme Disease, Equine Encephalitis, and West Nile Virus." more...
- Watching for Local Signs of Climate Change: This is probably a non-story for environmental news, but something I’m going to be watching over the years. One of the many predictions about how Global Warming will affect the Northeast is a change in some flora of our area, which will affect some business, and the production of maple syrup may be one of those. (Maple syrup shortage taps wallets - Prices are up after poor spring weather kept production down— If you'll be giving or serving New York maple syrup this holiday season, you probably paid more for it this year. A combination of consumer demand and a supply shortage have boosted prices 10 percent to 20 percent at many area retailers. (December 24, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle) more...
- Climate change will hit home—it’s only a matter of how hard. The latest in climate forecasts for our region, NEW YORK is the report "Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment" by Union of Concerned Scientists. It reemphasizes and updates predictions of massive changes for our area due to climate change. There are other reports (“Forecast For New York” by Environmental Advocates of New York) and undoubtedly more...
One of the signs leading into Mendon Ponds - Photo by Frank J. Regan
A view of Mendon Ponds in 2010 - Photo by Frank J. Regan
above scripts from Dynamic Drive
NewsLinks for Lyme Disease in our area
Over the years I have listed NewsLinks as they appear on Lyme Disease pertaining to our area
2012
- Death From West Nile Virus Reported Syracuse, N.Y. — Health officials are reporting the death of a person from infection with the West Nile virus. They say the death is the first this year in Onondaga County. The patient was an older person, but no other information is being released. (August 21, 2012) WHAM [more on Lyme Disease in our area]
- CNY Lyme Disease Cases On The Rise The Cayuga County Health Department wants to get the word out that according to the state Health Department cases of Lyme disease in Central New York are on the rise . Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by the bite of an infected deer tick. (August 20, 2012) FingerLakesDailNews.com [more on Lyme Disease in our area]
- Lyme disease: Dutchess County leads nation in cases Dutchess County and four other mid-Hudson Valley counties have the nation’s highest rates of Lyme disease, an illness transmitted by the bite of a tiny — and insidious — tick. (August 17, 2012) PressConnects.com [more on Lyme Disease in our area]
- Surge in tick bites | www.WHEC.com Warm winter weather could be behind a surge in tick bites and subsequent cases of Lyme disease. (April 24, 2012) Surge in tick bites | www.WHEC.com [more on Lyme disease in our area]
- NCPR News - Lyme disease on the rise in St. Lawrence and other counties If you're like a lot of people in the North Country, you've been finding ticks on yourself, or on your pets. The common dog tick can be easy to find, especially when they become engorged. But Deer ticks, also known as Black Legged-Ticks, are very, very tiny, and are difficult to spot. Deer ticks are the ones that primarily cause Lyme disease. Recent statistics show increasing levels of Lyme disease in the North Country. (April 12, 2012) NCPR: North Country Public Radio [more on Lyme Disease in our area]
- NY ecologist: Northeast may see more Lyme disease - Times Union MILLBROOK — A disease ecologist says the Northeast should prepare for a surge in Lyme disease this spring. Richard Osfeld of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook says the population of white-footed mice is crashing due to a small acorn crop. That means ticks that carry Lyme disease will look for other mammals to bite, such as humans. (March 16, 2012) Albany, Troy, Schenectady, Saratoga News, Weather, Sports, Capitol | timesunion.com - Times Union [more on Lyme Disease in our area]
- Lyme disease surge in the northeast this spring Lyme disease may spike in the northeastern US this spring due to a change in acorn crops, according to a disease ecologist. Dr. Richard Ostfeld, a Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies ecologist, says this rise in the bacterial infection will be due to decreasing acorn crops and white-footed mice populations, said the Examiner. (March 16, 2012) World News | Breaking US News and International News Headlines - GlobalPost [more on Lyme Disease in this area]
- Disease-carrying tick populations spread: study A new study has documented the rapid growth in Canada of ticks that can cause Lyme disease, and global warming is thought to be a factor. Ticks capable of carrying Lyme disease went from being almost non-existent in populated areas in Canada in 1990 to being currently in 18 per cent of such spots east of Saskatchewan, and this is expected to reach 80 per cent by 2020, according to the paper published in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology. (March 11, 2012) Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph - Telegraph [more on Lyme Disease in our area]
- Lyme disease risk area expanding - DailyFreeman.com CONCORD, N.H. — Researchers who spent three years dragging sheets of fabric through the woods to snag ticks have created a detailed map they claim could improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease. The map, which pinpoints areas of the eastern United States where people have the highest risk of contracting Lyme disease, is part of a study published in the February issue of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Though the areas highlighted as high-risk likely won’t surprise anyone familiar with the disease, the research also showed where the disease likely is spreading, and it turned up some surprising information about the rate at which ticks are infected with the bacteria that causes it, researchers said. (February 6, 2012) Lyme disease risk area expanding - DailyFreeman.com [more on Lyme Disease in our area]
2011
- Rise in Lyme disease expected in the Rochester area | Democrat and Chronicle | democratandchronicle.com The ingredients are in place for a spike in Lyme disease cases in Monroe County, public health officials warn. This annual bacterial infection threat is spread by the bite of infected black-legged (deer) ticks from May through July. Once concentrated in New York's Hudson Valley downstate, a rising number of cases have been occurring upstate in recent years. Some local residents had contracted Lyme disease from traveling, but Lyme-infected ticks were found in Monroe County in 2009 and 2010. (May 30, 2011) Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York | democratandchronicle.com [more on Lyme Disease in our area]
2010
- Tick season reminds Upstate New Yorkers about Lyme Disease Lyme disease is caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria and is one of several illnesses carried by ticks. In the case of Lyme Disease, the carrier is the deer tick. The AccuWeather website points out that the deer tick is most infectious in the six weeks before and after the summer solstice, June 21. Lyme Disease can be caught at any time a carrier tick bites, though, so awareness of a bite is crucial. (June 5, 2010) Rochester News, Restaurants, more by Top Local Experts [more on Lyme Disease in our area]
- Media Advisory: State Health Commissioner to Drag for Ticks, Demonstrate Prevention of Tick Bites In recognition of Lyme Disease Awareness Month, on Thursday, May 20, at 10 a.m. at the Vischer Ferry Preserve in the Town of Clifton Park, Saratoga County, State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D., will conduct a tick collecting exercise and demonstrate how to avoid tick bites to prevent the transmission of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. Dr. Daines will demonstrate proper clothing and use of insect repellants, as well as removal of ticks from the skin. He will also "drag for ticks," a technique used to collect ticks for Lyme disease testing as part of Department of Health (DOH) surveillance for Lyme disease. (May 19, 2010) New York State Department of Health [more on Lyme Disease in our area]
- Child Wellness : Lyme disease - YNN, Your News Now Lyme disease is on the rise. The symptoms vary and often, there is a bulls eye rash but not always. It's growing in epidemic proportions, the number of people suffering with Lyme disease. What was once thought only a concern in the summer months is now a concern all year long. (April 20, 2010) TOP STORIES - Rochester - YNN, Your News Now [more on Lyme Disease in our area]
2009
- Lyme Disease: more dogs need vaccines : News : WSTM NBC3 Veterinarians staffing the State Fair horse barns are answering questions, and Lyme Disease is a hot topic. (August 27, 09) Local News, Weather and Sports for Syracuse and Central New York - Powered by WSTM NBC3
- Protect Against Tick Bites,' Urges State Health Commissioner May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month Albany,N.Y. (May 22, 2009) -- Governor David A. Paterson has proclaimed May Lyme Disease Awareness Month to remind New Yorkers to "Be Tick Free" and take precautions from now through the fall season to protect themselves against potential tick-borne diseases, such as Lyme disease. Lyme disease is caused by the bite of an infected deer tick. Ticks are active when the weather stays above freezing, usually from April through November, with peak activity in spring and early summer and again in the fall. If left untreated, Lyme disease can cause serious health complications, including musculoskeletal, neurological and cardiac problems. (May 22, 09) New York State Department of Health
- Local Lyme disease cases jump- Syracuse.com Most of the cases have been in Fayetteville-Manlius area, health commissioner says. Incidents of locally acquired Lyme disease are being reported in record numbers in Onondaga County - particularly in the Fayetteville-Manlius area. (July 2, 08) Syracuse NY Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - syracuse.com
- May is Lyme Disease Prevention Month Ticks & Lyme Disease Lyme Disease and other Tick-borne Diseases The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and local health departments continue to investigate the spread of Lyme disease throughout New York State. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by the bite of an infected deer tick. Untreated, the disease can cause a number of health problems. Patients treated with antibiotics in the early stage of the infection usually recover rapidly and completely. Since Lyme disease first became reportable in 1986, over 72,000 cases have now been confirmed in New York State. --from New York State Department of Health
2008
- NYS Lyme Disease Prevention Expanded - The New York State Health Department launches a new statewide Lyme disease prevention effort in June. (May 29, 08) R News: As It Happens, Where It Happens
- Media Advisory: State Health Commissioner Announces New Lyme Disease Prevention Effort During "Tick Tour" ALBANY, N.Y. (May 27, 2008) - On Wednesday, May 28, State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D., will participate in the first "Tick Tour"of the Department's Vector Ecology Laboratory at Hudson Valley Community College to highlight the need for Lyme disease prevention and mark Lyme Disease Awareness Month. --from New York State Department of Health
2007
- State Health Commissioner Participates in Tick Dragging Exercise to Kick Off Lyme Disease Prevention Month ALBANY, May 14, 2007 – New York State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D., will kick off Lyme Disease Awareness Month today by participating in a "tick dragging" exercise in Columbia County to highlight the need for Lyme disease prevention. "Governor Spitzer has proclaimed May Lyme Disease Awareness Month to remind New Yorkers that Lyme disease remains an urgent health concern in our state, with more than 73,000 confirmed cases reported since 1986," said Dr. Daines. "The good news is that Lyme disease is preventable by taking simple precautions such as wearing light colored clothing, by tucking pants into socks and doing a tick check after walking in wooded areas." New York State Department of Health
- Lyme and tick-borne diseases research center opens at Columbia - Columbia University Medical Center has opened the first endowed research center for chronic Lyme disease in the world. The Lyme & Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center in New York will use its vast resources to bring together various disciplines from within and outside the University to address fundamental clinical and basic science questions that plague adults and children affected by Lyme disease. (May 9, 07) New York State News on the Net!
2006
- Schumer targets Lyme disease U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, citing a sudden rise in the number of Lyme disease cases in Upstate New York, visited a DeWitt park Monday to announce his push for a federal prevention effort. Schumer said the number of people infected with the tick-borne disease in Upstate counties increased 58 percent from 629 cases in 2005 to 994 cases so far this year. (July 19, 2006) Syracuse.com: Latest News and More
2005
- State Health Commissioner Novello Urges New Yorkers to Take Precautions to Avoid Tick Bites, Prevent Lyme Disease ALBANY, NY, May 11, 2005 - State Health Commissioner Antonia C. Novello, M.D., M.P.H., Dr.P.H., today launched an education and awareness campaign, "Be Tick Free" to urge New Yorkers to protect themselves against potential tick-borne diseases that may cause chronic health conditions. As part of the State's public awareness efforts, Governor Pataki has proclaimed May as Lyme Disease Awareness Month in New York State. Dr. Novello said, "Lyme disease is a serious illness that we continue to combat in coordination with local health departments to help better educate New Yorkers about the disease and the precautions they can take to avoid being bitten by ticks. Our coordinated efforts with communities where ticks are reportedly most prevalent are going a long way to help us in the fight against Lyme disease." New York State Department of Health
2003
- Looking for a Vaccine to Defang the Lyme Tick Dr. José Ribeiro is sequencing the "spitome" of the deer tick. This is a little bit like sequencing a genome, except that it has to do with saliva, specifically the saliva of the deer tick, the tiny menace that lives off deer and white-footed mice and likes to give suburban gardeners Lyme disease. (May 25, 2003) The New York Times on the Web
- 'Infected ticks marching northward' - timesunion.com Hudson-- Columbia County had high infection rate in 2002; health officials fear Albany and Rensselaer counties are next Through the accident of geography, Columbia County has become ground zero in the public health battle against Lyme disease. The rural county -- with the highest per capita rates of the disease in the nation year -- was perfectly situated to become the newest epicenter for the sometimes debillitating disease. It was the next likely place for infected ticks to head in their march north up the Hudson River Valley. And it is home to bountiful wildlife, such as deer and mice, that ticks feed on. (April 27, 2003) Albany NY Times Union: timesunion.com
2002
- Officials fear rise in Lyme disease The tick-transmitted disease can be found across New York state.A mild winter has given the deer tick a much longer window of opportunity to find hosts and breed on them, increasing the potential for Lyme disease this season, says one official. (June 6, 2002) Daily Messenger
2001
- Instant Results From New Test for Lyme Disease CHICAGO (Reuters) - A quick, newly approved blood test for Lyme disease eliminates the anxious wait for those who fear they are infected with the tick-borne illness, the researcher who helped develop the test said Sunday. (Monday, September 10, 2001) Yahoo News
- Lyme Disease Is Hard to Catch and Easy to Halt, Study Finds Researchers said they hoped the findings of three new studies would ease what they called inflated public fear of Lyme disease. Lyme disease is very difficult to catch, even from a deer tick in a Lyme-infested area, and can easily be stopped in its tracks with a single dose of an antibiotic, a new study shows. (June 13, 2001) Yahoo News
- Lyme Disease Vaccine Faces U.S. Scrutiny WASHINGTON - A panel of U.S. experts is set to hear arguments Wednesday about whether a vaccine against Lyme disease may be linked to rare cases of arthritis, a charge the product maker has disputed. (January 31, 2001) (Reuters)
- 8/31/00-- In the paper version of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, the editors have spoken about the West Nile Virus in West Nile Virus Arrives. They remind us that the WNV infected fewer than seventy humans, last year, Lyme Disease was diagnosed in 4, 403 New Yorkers.
- BIODIVERSITY MAY BE BUFFER AGAINST LYME DISEASE People living in areas of abundant biodiversity may have an easier time dodging the agent of Lyme disease. Source: Environmental News Network
2000
- Warm weather brings an increase of deer ticks The warmer than normal weather is drawing a larger number of insects across the state, including deer ticks. -5/16/00--TOP NEWS From WHEC, and MSNBC
- State Health Department officials are warning area residents that they expect an increase in the population of deer ticks throughout Western New York, meaning that Lyme disease could infect many more New Yorkers this year than the 4000 infected last year. 5/17/00-- The Town Crier Canandaigua Area News
- Environmental News Network -- Multimedia--Lyme disease vaccine There may be a vaccine next summer.
- Lyme disease begins first season with new vaccine--CNN.com
- Latest news: from American Lyme Disease Foundation, Inc.
- Spring brings new Lyme Disease vaccine. from CBS, WROC.com
Resources for Lyme Disease in our area
- DVBID: Home Page | CDC Lyme Disease Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans.
- Ticks & Lyme Disease Lyme Disease and other Tick-borne Diseases The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and local health departments continue to investigate the spread of Lyme disease throughout New York State. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by the bite of an infected deer tick. Untreated, the disease can cause a number of health problems. Patients treated with antibiotics in the early stage of the infection usually recover rapidly and completely. Since Lyme disease first became reportable in 1986, over 72,000 cases have now been confirmed in New York State. New York State Department of Health
- Insect Repellents: Use and Effectiveness | Pesticides | US EPA What would you like to know about insect repellents? We can help you find information about how long EPA-registered repellents will work and how to use them. We also have information about other ways to protect yourself from biting insects as well as some of the reasons you might want to use insect repellents Effective insect repellents can protect you from serious mosquito- and tick-borne diseases. In the United States, mosquitoes can transmit diseases like St. Louis encephalitis and West Nile virus. Ticks can transmit serious diseases like Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Ehrlichiosis. --from US Environmental Protection Agency