BuzzFeed – by Caroline Kee
Despite their tiny size, ticks are surprisingly powerful vectors of disease. And in the US, the risk of tick-borne infections is increasing. According to a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ticks infected people with seven new germs — including bacteria, parasites, and viruses — between 2004 and 2016.
The CDC recently analyzed data trends for all nationally notifiable diseases caused by the bite of an infected mosquito, tick, or flea. The number of cases has tripled since 2004, to 642,602, and those caused by ticks doubled. Of the tick-borne illnesses, 82% were cases of Lyme disease, a bacterial infection that causes a rash and flu-like symptoms that can spread to the joints and nervous system if left untreated.
Continue reading “Ticks Are Spreading More Rare Diseases In The US Than Ever Before”