Tick-borne diseases are becoming more common in Kentucky
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Each year, there are around 31 million tick bites in the United States.
However, ticks aren’t as harmless as they seem. Tick-borne diseases are bringing high numbers of patients to ERs more than at any time in the last decade.
Tick-borne diseases, such as Alpha Gal Syndrome and Lyme disease, are becoming more common even in Kentucky. Lyme disease is more common in Northern Kentucky, whereas Alpha Gal is more common in areas in south-central Kentucky.
Dr. Suman Shekar, a primary care physician and Pediatric Specialist at Med Center Health, lists the symptoms someone would experience from Lyme disease.
“Yes, so Lyme disease, fever, headaches, myalgia and arthritis, kind of pain, like joint pains. And also like we call this as a red bull’s eye rash or like erythema, migraines and this rash may be there, they’re not essential for diagnosis, but it is a characteristic feature of Lyme disease,” states Shekar.
Lyme disease is just one of the tick-borne diseases, but for Warren County, Alpha Gal syndrome is becoming more common.
“Alpha Gal is becoming more common. Alpha gal is an intense food allergy developed after tick bite. So like, I had a patient who came in with, severe abdominal pain and hives and rashes after eating, pork,” Shekar said. “And this happened almost multiple times, like in a week. Then the, diagnosed that patient with Alpha Gal disease, which was caused by a tick bite previously.”
There are ways to prevent these diseases and that’s by being prepared ahead of time for outside activities.
Shekar explains that wearing knee-high socks, tucking your pants, and wearing light colored clothing to keep ticks away from your skin. Another way to avoid tick bites is to use something like an insecticide and wear it similarly to how sunscreen is worn.
Tick-borne diseases can be prevented, but it is still important to be careful in areas of tall grass and shrubbery. To learn more about tick bites and tick-borne disease, you can contact your local doctor or visit the CDC’s website.
