May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month

Submitted by Krista Phillips, Communications Specialist, Tick-Borne Disease Network, for the Bedford Board of Heath

As the weather begins to warm and we spend more time outdoors, the risk for Lyme disease increases as well. The Bedford Board of Health is asking you to participate in Lyme Disease Awareness Month by learning more about Lyme disease.

Did you know that Lyme Disease is preventable?

Learn to check for ticks daily and to remove them promptly. You can also visit your local library for books on Lyme disease and continue the search online at https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/ and https://www.tickencounter.org/

Many of us have been aware of Lyme disease for years. Here are some things that may be a surprise:

• Many people think that a deer tick bite followed by a bull’s eye rash is the only symptom to look for when it comes to Lyme, but did you know that a rash appears only 70-80% of the time?
• The circular rash that is associated with Lyme Disease is called erythema migrans or EM. It is one of the first signs of infection, typically occurring within 3-30 days of a tick bite.
• Because it is not painful and it can appear without other symptoms like fever, it is sometimes ignored or forgotten.  As the fever and other symptoms develop, the rash may re-appear on other parts of the body.
  Other symptoms of a tick borne illness include fever and chills, headache, fatigue, muscle aches and joint pain, and swollen lymph nodes.
• This year, if you live in a partner community, you can send in the ticks that bit you for free testing of pathogens that cause Lyme and other common tick-borne illnesses thanks to a grant from the Patrick Administration’s Community Innovation Challenge program. To learn more visit www.TickReport.com

Lyme disease is often difficult to diagnose because its symptoms and signs mimic those of many other diseases such as mononucleosis or influenza. If you are bitten by a tick, remove it right away then identify it. In our area, as many as 20% of Blacklegged (Deer) tick nymphs and 50% of adult females are infected.  You can have the tick tested to better assess your risk. Blacklegged ticks attached for less than 24 hours are not likely to have transmitted any infection.

Follow these four Lyme disease prevention measures, and share them with a friend or neighbor:

• Wear repellent.
• Check for ticks daily.
• Shower soon after being outdoors.
• Call your doctor if you get a fever or rash.

Be sure to share a fact you have learned with everyone you meet!

The Bedford Board of Health, in conjunction with 31 other partner towns, has been awarded $111,300 in grant funds from the Patrick Administration, in conjunction with 31 other partner towns, has or . This grant funds the participation of the towns in a Tick-Borne Disease Network (TBDN) established by the Laboratory of Medical Zoology (LMZ) at University of Massachusetts, Amherst. The purpose of the CIC-funded project is to gather data on ticks in the 32 partner towns by providing prepaid testing of up to 100 ticks submitted by residents.

The TBDN partner communities are Acton, Barnstable, Bedford, Bourne, Brewster, Buckland, Carlisle, Charlemont, Chatham, Concord, Conway, Deerfield, Dennis, Eastham, Falmouth, Gill, Harwich, Hawley, Heath, Leyden, Lincoln, Mashpee, Monroe, Nantucket, Orleans, Provincetown, Sandwich, Shelburne, Truro, Wellfleet, Winchester, and Yarmouth. The LMZ conducts the testing and provides analytical services. Thanks to the CIC grant, the LMZ will test 100 ticks from each partner town free of charge to the residents who send them in using the submittal protocols found at www.TickReport.com