In the past month, Pennsylvania has reported in excess of 1,000 Lyme disease cases putting the state total to 11,126 through Nov. 19, according to provisional data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Nationally, CDC officials put the total cases at 29,073, making Pennsylvania’s total approximately 38 percent of the country’s total.
Pennsylvania has led the nation in Lyme disease cases ten consecutive years since 2007 with the most cases in a single year reported in 2015 with 10,817, which is now been broken in 2016 .
Following Pennsylvania is New York and NYC with 3,820 cases, New Jersey (3,517), Wisconsin (1,720) and Maryland (1,582).
According to the CDC:
Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system. Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings (e.g., rash), and the possibility of exposure to infected ticks. Laboratory testing is helpful if used correctly and performed with validated methods. Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with a few weeks of antibiotics.
Each year, more than 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported to CDC, making it the most commonly reported tick-borne illness in the United States.
However, CDC estimates indicate that the number of Americans diagnosed with Lyme disease each year is around 300,000, ten times higher than the yearly reported number.
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