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"The local incidence of Lyme disease has increased each year and should continue to increase each year," said Dr. Timothy McDermott, veterinarian and extension educator at Ohio State University in Franklin County.
Your chances of getting bitten by a tick and contracting an illness increase every year in Ohio.
In the past four years, the number of cases of Lyme disease has almost doubled, with 293 cases reported in 2018, according to data from the Ohio Department of Public Health.
Terri Argent, a member of the Massillon City Health Commission, said the growing tick population was a concern.
Last year, four cases of Lyme disease were reported in the city. So far, there have been no cases this year, but Silver expects this could change as the summer approaches.
The biggest risks increase during the summer months, when more people will be outside, she said.
As of Monday, there were already 27 cases nationwide this year.
"The local incidence of Lyme disease has increased each year and should continue to increase each year," said Dr. Timothy McDermott, veterinarian and extension educator at Ohio State University in Franklin County. "We are worried about the new tick species that are on the radar."
McDermott, who travels throughout the state to educate Ohio residents about ticks, said he'd met people who had contracted Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and an allergy to bites caused by mammalian meat. Health records show that there were 38 cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever last year in the state.
Tick-borne diseases can be caused by viruses, bacteria or parasites and can have "a big impact depending on your lifestyle," he said. "There can be extremely serious health risks, with profound and lasting consequences.
In the last decade, no deaths from Lyme disease have been reported in Ohio, but there are still areas of concern, experts say.
With more ticks, "the percentages of diseases we're seeing increase accordingly," said McDermott.
The most common ticks in Ohio include American ticks that like grassland where the grass is clear; the deer tick that prefers wooded areas; and the tick of the gulf. Deer ticks have been documented in 66 of 88 counties in Ohio, said Richard Gary, entomologist at the Ohio Department of Public Health.
If you notice a tick, experts recommend removing it immediately with the help of a tweezer, grabbing it as close to the skin's surface as possible and away from your skin. skin with constant pressure. If you are worried about an illness, you can put the tick in alcohol and send it to be tested at the University of Massachusetts.
The incubation period of Rocky Mountain spotted fever takes five to ten days from the time of infection. Lyme disease can take three to 30 days for the symptoms to appear, Gary said.
Ticks, which are not insects but eight-legged arachnids, use two pairs of paws to hang on the grass or shrubs, then another pair of paws to hang on to their prey as it goes.
They have a sucking mouth called hypostome. ("Imagine a harpoon or shovel with serrations," McDermott said.) Diseases, if they carry them, are stored in their gut.
The increase in tick numbers has been linked to the destruction of natural habitats and global warming.
With more invasive development, less hunting and fewer natural predators, tick-carrying deer live closer to humans, resulting in more interactions.
Climate change is expected to help more ticks grow. As long as they are above zero, ticks can feed all year round.
Although Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever are more common, the bite of an infected Lone Star tick can mean that you will become allergic to red meat. The state does not keep data on the number of Ohonians who have developed allergy.
"Yeah, bacon cheeseburgers would be a thing of the past," said McDermott, while emphasizing that "this has not been diagnosed in a very long time."
Independent writer Amy L. Knapp contributed to this report.
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