The New Hampshire

Issue date: 5/2/08 Section: TNHealth

Media Credit: Courtesy photo

Media Credit: Courtesy photo

Media Credit: Courtesy photo

Media Credit: Courtesy photo

Lyme disease cases in New Hampshire increased by 43 percent last year, from 619 total cases in 2006 to 892 in 2007, according to a study released by New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (NHDHHS). The majority of the cases were found in Rockingham, Strafford, Hillsboro and Merrimack counties.

The study showed that half of the ticks collected from Strafford, Rockingham and Hillsboro counties tested positive for Lyme disease. This raises some concern, as UNH lies in the heart of Strafford County and is surrounded by a substantial amount of wooded area.

Dr. Pete Pekins, a professor of wildlife ecology, explained that Lyme disease is a non-deadly bacterial infection carried by the blacklegged tick, or deer tick, which is non-communicable from person to person. The symptoms of Lyme disease are very similar to a combination of symptoms of the flu and arthritis, which often makes it hard to identify.

Pekins said that if caught early enough, the disease is easily treatable and the symptoms go away quickly. However, if it is not caught soon, particularly in elders, "your life can become total misery," according to Pekins.

Pekins attributed the recent increase in Lyme disease cases to weather patterns. He said that although there is no precise way to determine exactly why the disease has spread so rapidly, weather patterns can influence the survival rate of ticks, and therefore, of Lyme disease as well.

Dianne Donovan, Arboviral Surveillance Coordinator for the New Hampshire Health and Human Services Bureau of Communicable Disease Control, has also studied this disease. She has seen many cases of Lyme in people of all ages. She said that apart from the flu-like symptoms and achy joints, people should look for a circular ring around the site of the tick bite, as that would be a definite sign of the disease.

According to the Lyme Disease Fact Sheet provided by NHDHHS, ticks cause more than 20,000 infections in the United States each year. Also, this disease can be contracted many times and symptoms have been known to reoccur much later in life. However, a simple anti-biotic should quickly rid the system of the disease, if introduced early enough.

Lisa Beckwith, a UNH sophomore and avid hiker from Wolfeboro, was infected last summer when she got bit by a tick while hiking through the White Mountains.

"I felt like I had a cold and a fever, and I was really tired," said Beckwith. "Then I noticed a white ring around the bite two days later, went to the doctors, and got an anti-biotic. It went away in a few days."

Donovan offered advice on how to protect against ticks.

"Well, at home, keep your bushes trimmed short," said Donovan. "In the woods, stay in the middle of trail, wear long pants and long sleeves, tuck your pants into your socks, wear light colored clothing so you can see the ticks easier, and always give yourself a full body check after you've left the woods."

She also noted that ticks seem to navigate upward once they have attached themselves to a host. Often times people find ticks in their hair, even though the tick might have initially latched on to a sock or pant leg. This is important to know, as a tick on the ankle could very quickly turn into a tick on a much more sensitive and problematic area.

For more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Web site at ww.cdc.gov and check out the Lyme Disease Fact Sheet.

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