Ticks are increasing in numbers across Pennsylvania
When the snow melts and the warm winds of spring and summer return to the countryside, the black-legged ticks wake up from their winter slumber and infest the landscape.
And this year is supposed be worse than ever.
In Western Pennsylvania Ixodes scapularis ticks, commonly known as black-legged or deer ticks, have been increasing in numbers, and every year more people contract Lyme disease from a tick bite.
“Lyme disease is a bacterium from a group called a spirochete, which is shaped like a corkscrew,” said Thomas Simmons, Professor of Biology at Indiana University. “It can travel through your blood, and, if not treated, it can get into tissue.”
Eventually, if it continues to go unchecked, the bacterium can get into nervous system tissue and do serious damage. It is imperative that this disease be caught and treated quickly. Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics, but results vary widely depending on the patient and how long they've gone without treatment.
There is no cure or vaccine for humans, and Simmons said the best way to fight Lyme disease is to avoid it altogether.
“There are answers, but the answers are to take preventive measures,” he said.
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