<img src = "https://media.wkbn.com/nxs-wkbntv-media-us-east-1/photo/2015/06/10/ticks_39746517_ver1.0_640_360.jpg" alt = "Pa. HARRISBURG , Pennsylvania (WHTM) – State authorities urge Pennsylvanians to take precautions when it comes to avoiding ticks and mosquitoes.
In the new budget, Governor Tom Wolf has approved millions of dollars to help fight these diseases on a statewide scale.
Pennsylvania leads the country with new reported cases of Lyme disease. diagnoses have increased by 25% per year over the last four years.
"Lyme disease is really a very important public health threat in Pennsylvania," said Dr. Rachel Levine, Pennsylvania Secretary.
"Wear the right clothes, use clothes that have this DEET – this insect repellent – do checks to check," she said.
Levin e hope that new funds in the state budget will help. It includes $ 2.5 million to hire staff from the Ministry of Health to implement the 18 recommendations made by the Lyme Disease Task Force that was created four years ago.
"We want to work on prevention. We want to work on education and awareness about Lyme disease, "said Levine
which includes more prevention and education programs for Lyme disease and more comprehensive disease surveillance This money will be very useful for the Ministry of Health to be able to implement these recommendations, "added Mr. Levine.
The budget also provides for an increase of $ 139,000 to support the monitoring program for West Nile and Zika. ] There have been more than 180 cases of Zika virus in the state since 2015. There have been no human cases of West Nile up here this year.
Residents are also advised to take steps to avoid West Nile and Zika by doing things like getting rid of stagnant water around your house and using an insect repellent on the outside.
