Ohio Reports 253 Lyme Disease Cases by May 12 as Belmont County Leads With 39
Updated
Updated · The Columbus Dispatch · May 18
Ohio Reports 253 Lyme Disease Cases by May 12 as Belmont County Leads With 39
2 articles · Updated · The Columbus Dispatch · May 18
253 Lyme disease cases had been reported in Ohio through May 12, with eastern counties leading and Belmont County recording the highest total at 39 cases by May 18.
Tick exposure is rising alongside the case count: Ohio logged 104 tick-bite ER visits per 100,000 emergency visits in April, up from 68 a year earlier.
Ohio State research estimated about 50% of ticks tested in the state carried the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, the most common tick-borne illness in the U.S.
The Midwest is now the second-most affected U.S. region for tick-related ER visits, while warmer winters, climate change and expanding tick habitat are helping drive the broader increase.
With Lyme disease concentrated in eastern Ohio, what is preventing rural residents from getting timely diagnosis and necessary care?
Beyond personal checks, could managing Ohio's surging deer population be the real key to stopping the Lyme disease epidemic?
A new Lyme vaccine shows over 70% efficacy. When could it become available to the public and change this alarming trend?