State reports high numbers of ticks, infection rate

More than 40% of the 2,600 ticks received by the state for testing were positive for the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. According to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, which released Monday afternoon a statement that the state was "at the pinnacle of tick abundance", this is significantly higher than the average.

Dr. Goudarz Molaei, who runs the experimental station's tick test program, said that the rate of ticks infected with Borrelia burgdoferi – responsible for Lyme disease – is 10% higher than what State has known these past five years.

The experimental station also reports high rates of tick infection with Babesia microti, responsible for babesiosis, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum, responsible for the disease, human granulocytic anaplasmosis.

"We are in full activity for the nymphal stages of black-legged ticks … which are often difficult to detect because of their small size and their propensity to attach and feed themselves quickly" said Dr. Theodore Andreadis, director of the experimental station in a press release. "The use of repellents against ticks while hiking or camping and carrying out tick checks remain the best ways to reduce the risk of contracting a tick-borne disease."

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that Lyme disease, which can cause serious damage to joints and the nervous system, is the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in the country, affecting approximately 329,000 people per year. year. In Connecticut, 2,022 cases of Lyme disease were reported in 2017.