Health officials in New York’s Onondaga County are alerting residents to a rare tick-borne illness that can cause serious illness, noting a recent surge in cases. County’s Health Commissioner revealed that there have already been six cases of anaplasmosis reported in 2021, compared to only three cases reported in the previous five years.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), anaplasmosis is a bacterial disease that is transmitted to people through tick bites, primarily involving the blacklegged tick and the western blacklegged tick. Symptoms usually appear within one to two weeks after the bite, and may include fever, chills, severe headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite.

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Late illness symptoms, which can occur if treatment is delayed or if there are other medical problems, which can include respiratory failure, bleeding problems, organ failure, or even death . Those who are older or have a weakened immune system may be at risk of serious illness due to anaplasmosis.

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“ In New York State, the disease is transmitted by the blacklegged tick, which is the same type of tick that typically transmits Lyme disease,” County Health Commissioner Dr. Indu Gupta said in a news release. “If we are diligent in practicing the same prevention measures that we have learned to prevent Lyme disease, we are protecting ourselves from other tick-borne diseases, including anaplasmosis.”

The Department of Health recommends taking steps to ensure tick prevention, such as wearing shoes, light-colored socks, long pants and long-sleeved shirts while outdoors, and using insect repellents containing DEET and other EPA-approved to consider He recommends spending time outside and anyone checking for ticks after removing them immediately.

Source: Oltnews.com