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James Gathany | AP
This undated file photo provided by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a blacklegged tick, also known as a deer tick, carrying Lyme disease. Preliminary indicators show a decrease in Lyme disease during the summer of 2018 in New England.
AUGUSTA, Maine – The hot, dry weather of the summer seems to have contributed to the decrease in the number of cases of Lyme disease in Maine.
The state is on the verge of having the smallest number of Lyme diseases for at least three years. There were 1,069 cases until November 12th. Last year, 1,852 cases were lost during the year.
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Lyme disease is spread by ticks and most cases are reported from April to October. The Portland Press Herald reports that a chain of three dry, straight summers may have stressed tick populations, according to experts who study arachnids.
Chuck Lubelczyk, a field biologist for the Maine Medical Center Research Institute, says researchers are discovering a "much smaller" number of ticks in field surveys.
Lyme disease can cause flu-like conditions, neurological problems, joint pain and other symptoms.
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