Tick-Borne Disease on the Rise in New York; Symptoms Similar to COVID-19

In 2020 it’s one thing after another. COVID-19, racism, and now a tick-borne disease that’s rising in New York.

According to Fox 32 Chicago, the disease called “anaplasmosis” is contracted by tick bites and spread through bacteria. Many of the symptoms are similar to those of the coronavirus-fever, chills, headaches, and muscle pains the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

In a statement to the magazine Adirondack Explorer, Bryan Backenson Deputy Director of New York’s Bureau of Communicable Disease Control stated, “that’s one that’s really on the rise, particularly in the northeastern part of New York.”

Patients have reported the onset of symptoms one to two weeks after the tick bite. Anaplasmosis can be fatal if left untreated. In 2009, the state saw about 300 cases, but that number tripled by 2018. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Backenson says it has been a challenge to inform the public about the increasing cases due to the global pandemic and says anaplasmosis is overshadowed by Lyme disease, the most prevalent tick-borne illness.

Testing for anaplasmosis is easy, and treatment involves antibiotics, the CDC confirms who suggests the rise of cases may be due to the heightened number of people going outdoors after quarantining inside for months. Ticks are usually outdoors and like to live in wooded or tall grassy areas, the New York Health Department says.

The department says the best way to protect yourself from contact is to avoid soil, leaf litter, and vegetation. If you are hiking in a tick-infested area, it is best if you wear enclosed shoes, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants and check yourself and clothes frequently for ticks.