Community Corner
Is Ozaukee County at Risk for Lyme Disease?
Lyme disease affects more than 30,000 people in the U.S. annually. Find out what you need to know to protect yourself.
Though Lyme disease has been on the rise in Wisconsin in recent years, Ozaukee County doesn't have much cause for alarm.
In 2011, it had just 10 confirmed cases of the tick-borne disease, according to data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. That's 1.15 cases for every 10,000 people, and Ozaukee has only seen 35 confirmed cases since 2000.
But the rest of the state has not been so lucky. The number of confirmed cases in Wisconsin has more than doubled over the last decade, leaping from 1,090 in 2002 to 2,408 in 2011. Based on the 2011 data, Wisconsin ranked sixth nationally for the highest incidence of confirmed cases.
Based on this year's rainy weather, 2013 may see an increase in confirmed cases.
"(In 2012) we had hot and dry weather, and ticks do not do well in that type of weather. They need moisture," said state epidemiologist Diep Johnson. "But it seems like the ticks are doing really well this year, which is not surprising from the amount of rain and heat."
The 2012 data is not yet publicly available due to a recent change in the state's reporting standards, according to the Wisconsin Division of Public Health. But Johnson told Patch there were two Ozaukee County cases reported last year under the new system.
New Reporting Standards for Lyme Disease
According to Johnson, Wisconsin had 1,761 total confirmed cases of Lyme disease in 2012, based on the new, less strict reporting standards. But this is hard to compare to previous years, as she estimated that figure would be over 2,900 using the old reporting standards.Here's an email statement on the change from Christopher Steward, research analyst for the Division of Public Health:
In 2012, the state of Wisconsin made a significant change to the way in which we perform surveillance activities with regards to Lyme disease to accomodate the increasing burden of Lyme disease in Wisconsin.
Our new surveillance system is based on the reporting incidences of Lyme disease cases that present with the characteristic EM rash and having the reporting of other manifestations of Lyme disease be optional. The new reporting system is designed to be more sustainable and make better use of our limited public health resources.
What is Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is caused by bacteria transmitted to humans from what is commonly known as the deer tick, or black-legged tick. The ticks acquire the bacteria from biting infected field mice.Lyme disease can affect anyone — regardless of age or sex. People who spend more time outdoors are at a greater risk, especially in wooded areas during the summer months.
A tick must be attached to the skin for about 24 hours before it can transmit the bacteria, and early symptoms "usually begin within a month of exposure." Symptoms include:
- An expanding, circular rash near the tick bite
- Fever, headache, fatigue, stiff neck, muscle and/or joint pain
- If untreated, serious symptoms may arise in weeks to months of onset, such as meningitis, facial palsy, heart abnormalities, arthritis, joint swelling and pain
- Not everyone with Lyme disease will develop the initial rash
Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics, but preventative measures can also be taken when in areas that may have ticks:
- Wearing light-colored clothing that covers most of the skin, making ticks easier to find
- Avoiding brushing up against plants
- Conducting "tick checks" after spending time outside
- Using insect repellents
- Removing ticks that have attached to the skin
For more information, visit the Wisconsin Department of Health Services page on Lyme Disease.
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