“Health officials: prevention is key”
We should all be aware by now that it’s a tough year for
ticks. Anyone who isn’t aware, should be. It’s become particularly acute
following several cases in Saratoga County – including one fatality – from the
tick-borne Powassan Virus (POW). A new report that received widespread media
coverage also examines the link between Lyme disease and suicide rates across
the nation.
Local health officials across the Southern Tier and Finger
Lakes have renewed their efforts to spread the word that “prevention is key”
when it comes to tick-related illnesses and diseases.
According to the Schuyler County Health Department, “The
best protection from POW virus and all tick-related diseases, like Lyme, is to
eliminate your exposure to ticks.”
The Senate Task Force on Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases, on
which I serve as a member, has worked over the past several years to raise
awareness and develop ongoing prevention, research, and treatment initiatives
and strategies. We will soon reconvene a series of statewide public hearings to
get the most up-to-date input from public health professionals, educators, and
researchers.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), Lyme disease is the fastest-growing, vector-borne infectious disease in
the United States. Approximately 300,000 Americans are diagnosed with Lyme
annually, the CDC says.
Lyme disease was once considered a mostly “downstate”
concern in New York State. No longer. It’s been a rapidly growing public health
challenge throughout upstate New York over the past several years and has drawn
heightened warnings from public health officials. It’s a debilitating disease
that needs to be taken seriously by everyone who enjoys the outdoors, even if
that means doing yard work or gardening. Those afflicted by Lyme disease can
endure years of frustration, to say the least, seeking effective diagnosis and treatment.
Our Senate task force continually reviews research, consults
with experts, conducts public hearings, and works to develop legislation and
other recommendations that we ultimately hope can be incorporated into a New
York State Action Plan on Lyme and Tick-borne Diseases (TBDs). That is the
overriding goal: to put in place a statewide plan that will serve as a
comprehensive roadmap for improving research, education, diagnosis, and
treatment.
Initial reports from the Senate task force, based upon
statistics from the state Department of Health (DOH), have identified Chemung,
Schuyler, and other regional counties as having experienced dramatic increases
in cases of Lyme disease. So while it often doesn’t receive the attention it
warrants, legislation and other initiatives developed by the task force remain
part of an ongoing legislative effort that we hope will continue to encourage
and guide the development of state-level strategies to address the rising
concern. The current state budget, for example, includes $400,000 to strengthen
New York’s education, prevention, and research efforts.
Last fall I sponsored a “Public Awareness Forum on Lyme and
Tick-Borne Diseases” at the Big Flats Community Center at which this same note
of caution was stressed, and where a panel of regional public health
professionals, educators, and researchers led a discussion on raising awareness
and ongoing prevention efforts and strategies. As a result of the discussion
which took place at this forum, in late March 2017 Arnot Health Graduate
Education and A Hope 4 Lyme sponsored the 1st annual “Nuts and Bolts of Lyme
Disease” forum for regional medical professionals, which turned out to be a
highly successful event attended by approximately 150 doctors, nurses, and
other health care professionals.
As stated in the executive summary of one task force report,
“The geographic spread of Lyme and Tick-Borne diseases demand a comprehensive
response by the State to encourage detection and prevention initiatives, and
facilitate diagnostic and treatment advancements. While the impact of Lyme
disease is widespread, a large number of the cases remain unreported. This lack
of reporting is a cause of concern given that Lyme disease remains the most
prevalent Tick-Borne disease in New York State.”
You can find important information on the state DOH website:
http://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/lyme/.
The CDC also offers a tick-related
page: https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/index.html.
