Nantucket Cottage Hospital Warns of 6 Tick-Borne Illnesses as Island Risks Expand
Updated
Updated · Nantucket Current · Jun 10
Nantucket Cottage Hospital Warns of 6 Tick-Borne Illnesses as Island Risks Expand
3 articles · Updated · Nantucket Current · Jun 10
Summary
Nantucket Cottage Hospital urged island residents to step up tick-bite prevention and watch for symptoms as local risks broaden beyond Lyme disease.
6 illnesses were highlighted—Lyme disease, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, Powassan virus and alpha-gal syndrome—reflecting what the hospital called changing and expanding threats.
EPA-registered repellent, permethrin-treated clothing, tick checks, showers after outdoor activity and high-heat drying for clothes were among the main steps recommended to cut exposure.
Parents and pet owners were told to check children’s scalps, ears, waists and ankles, monitor dogs and cats, and keep yards trimmed to reduce tick habitat.
Symptoms can range from a bull’s-eye rash to fever, chills, fatigue and joint pain, and the hospital said early medical attention after a bite or outdoor exposure remains critical.