Lyme disease in Framingham: Lyme disease tally rising
- From: "CaliforniaLyme" <CaliforniaLyme@xxxxxx>
- Date: 18 Sep 2005 08:45:04 -0700
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/09/18/lyme_disease_tally_rising
FRAMINGHAM
Lyme disease tally rising
Officials note hike in deer population
By Jennifer Rosinski, Globe Correspondent | September 18, 2005
The number of people diagnosed with Lyme disease in Framingham this
year is more than double last year's tally, prompting health officials
to launch a public education campaign about the disease.
A total of 28 Lyme disease cases had been reported to the Board of
Health as of Wednesday, said Framingham's public health administrator,
Robert Cooper. Twelve cases were reported in August alone, the same
number reported in all of last year.
''Certainly, we're worried about anything that creates disease in the
community or raises the incidence of disease," Cooper said.
''Unfortunately, Lyme disease is hard to control. The only control is
education."
The numbers are expected to go even higher when the September data are
reported, Cooper said.
Lyme disease is spread by infected deer ticks that cling to brush and
climb onto animals and people, according to the state Department of
Public Health. A tick must be attached for at least 24 hours to spread
the bacteria.
Signs of Lyme, incidence of which peaks in the spring and fall, include
a doughnut-shaped rash that appears three days to three months after
the tick bite and flu-like symptoms, according to the Department of
Public Health. If left untreated, Lyme disease can affect the nervous
system, heart, and joints, and lead to arthritis and meningitis, among
other ailments.
The increased cases of Lyme disease in Framingham convinced Cooper to
hold an education seminar for public works employees last week. Signs
also have been posted at Callahan State Park in the northwest section
of town. More steps may be taken in the future, Cooper said.
And Framingham is not alone. Other communities in the western suburbs,
including Hopkinton and Needham, have seen slight increases in the
number of Lyme disease cases.
While state health officials say it's too early to comment on spikes in
Lyme disease reports this year, they acknowledge that numbers have been
rising over the past five years.
''Middlesex and Worcester counties have seen an increase in Lyme
disease because the suburban communities have seen an increase in deer
population," said Bela Matyas, medical director of epidemiology with
the state Department of Public Health.
Between 15,000 and 18,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported each year
throughout the state, Matyas said. The number of cases reported in
Middlesex County has grown from 90 in 2000 to 140 last year, with
totals spiking up to 204 in 2002. Worcester County's numbers have
increased from 127 in 2000 to 240 last year, also with a jump in 2002,
to 261.
''The spread of the infected area is pretty much following the return
of the deer," Matyas said.
The state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife has been working since
1995 to adjust the deer population in the state, increasing the numbers
in the western part of the state and decreasing the numbers in the
eastern part of the state, said Bill Woytek, deer and moose project
leader at the division's headquarters in Westborough.Continued...
Home > News > Local
FRAMINGHAM
Lyme disease tally rising
Officials note hike in deer population
By Jennifer Rosinski, Globe Correspondent |
September 18, 2005
The number of people diagnosed with Lyme disease in Framingham this
year is more than double last year's tally, prompting health officials
to launch a public education campaign about the disease.
A total of 28 Lyme disease cases had been reported to the Board of
Health as of Wednesday, said Framingham's public health administrator,
Robert Cooper. Twelve cases were reported in August alone, the same
number reported in all of last year.
''Certainly, we're worried about anything that creates disease in the
community or raises the incidence of disease," Cooper said.
''Unfortunately, Lyme disease is hard to control. The only control is
education."
The numbers are expected to go even higher when the September data are
reported, Cooper said.
Lyme disease is spread by infected deer ticks that cling to brush and
climb onto animals and people, according to the state Department of
Public Health. A tick must be attached for at least 24 hours to spread
the bacteria.
Signs of Lyme, incidence of which peaks in the spring and fall, include
a doughnut-shaped rash that appears three days to three months after
the tick bite and flu-like symptoms, according to the Department of
Public Health. If left untreated, Lyme disease can affect the nervous
system, heart, and joints, and lead to arthritis and meningitis, among
other ailments.
The increased cases of Lyme disease in Framingham convinced Cooper to
hold an education seminar for public works employees last week. Signs
also have been posted at Callahan State Park in the northwest section
of town. More steps may be taken in the future, Cooper said.
And Framingham is not alone. Other communities in the western suburbs,
including Hopkinton and Needham, have seen slight increases in the
number of Lyme disease cases.
While state health officials say it's too early to comment on spikes in
Lyme disease reports this year, they acknowledge that numbers have been
rising over the past five years.
''Middlesex and Worcester counties have seen an increase in Lyme
disease because the suburban communities have seen an increase in deer
population," said Bela Matyas, medical director of epidemiology with
the state Department of Public Health.
Between 15,000 and 18,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported each year
throughout the state, Matyas said. The number of cases reported in
Middlesex County has grown from 90 in 2000 to 140 last year, with
totals spiking up to 204 in 2002. Worcester County's numbers have
increased from 127 in 2000 to 240 last year, also with a jump in 2002,
to 261.
''The spread of the infected area is pretty much following the return
of the deer," Matyas said.
The state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife has been working since
1995 to adjust the deer population in the state, increasing the numbers
in the western part of the state and decreasing the numbers in the
eastern part of the state, said Bill Woytek, deer and moose project
leader at the division's headquarters in Westborough.
Page 2 of 2 --''Our population model shows we are reducing our deer
numbers; however, there are certain places in the state where the deer
population is increasing."
Article Tools
Printer friendly
Single page
E-mail to a friend
Local RSS feed
Available RSS feeds
Most e-mailed
Reprints/permissions
More:
Globe City/Region stories |
Latest local news |
Globe front page |
Boston.com
Sign up for: Globe Headlines e-mail | Breaking News Alerts The program
hits roadblocks in communities where hunting is heavily regulated,
Woytek said. Those towns include Dover, Medfield, Medway, and Weston .
''The deer population is basically being allowed to grow without any
means of control," Woytek said. ''When our plan is allowed to work, we
can control our deer numbers."
In Needham, 14 cases of Lyme disease were reported between July and
August, more than double the number reported during the same period
last year, said Needham's public health director, Dr. Janice Berns.
Needham ended 2004 with 33 cases of Lyme disease, eight more than the
year before. Berns attributed much of that to increased reporting
following efforts by the town to educate the public.
''Perhaps more people are aware of the disease and are going to their
doctors to seek testing," Berns said. ''We're watching the numbers."
Hopkinton's public health administrator, Thomas Ryder, said four cases
of Lyme disease were reported to the office in August. Hopkinton, home
of Hopkinton State Park, rarely sees more than a half-dozen cases a
year, he said.
''I did raise an eyebrow when I saw four of them come in. We usually
get one a month."
This year, 10 cases of Lyme disease have been reported in Westborough,
said the town's public health director, Paul McNulty. That's two less
than last year's total, which leads McNulty to believe the total number
this year will far exceed that of last year.
Although Natick's numbers are in line with last year's totals, the
town's public health director, Roger Wade, has been encouraging
residents to reduce their risks by spraying their properties and laying
down bark mulch barriers where their backyards border the woods.
''It's something we're keeping an eye on because we can't do any active
control ourselves," he said. ''We're going to look at where the cases
are. If there are a whole bunch in the same neighborhood, we'll know
there's something going on."
Roughly 16 cases through 2005 have been reported to the town through
Wednesday, Wade said. Natick had 20 cases of Lyme disease last year.
State and local health officials stress the importance of protecting
oneself when in grassy or wooded areas where ticks may be lurking. They
urge people to wear long-sleeved shirts and pants in light colors
tucked into socks, use repellents containing DEET, and check for ticks
on legs, in armpits, along the hairline, and in the ears.
''Tick checks are probably the most important thing," Cooper said. ''If
you have a freckle and it moves, it's not a freckle."
© Copyright 2005 Globe Newspaper Company.
.
- Prev by Date: Playwritght Rolin Jones: "I'm on these serious antibiotics, because I have Lyme disease,
- Next by Date: Re: FAKE CaliforniaLyme asks personal question: Re: STD question | HPV & Warts and Lyme
- Previous by thread: Playwritght Rolin Jones: "I'm on these serious antibiotics, because I have Lyme disease,
- Next by thread: Sarah, here's what you might do...
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
