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PA is first in something.

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According to the Centers for Disease Control there are three hundred thousand new cases of Lyme Disease each year and Pennsylvania is leading the nation with the highest number of cases.

Dr. Loren Robinson, Deputy Secretary of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at the Pennsylvania Department of Health told the KDKA Radio Afternoon News, “We have a lot of factors in Pennsylvania that set us up. One, we have a lot of wooded areas. Beyond that most people think ticks are only in the woods, but ticks are actually everywhere.”

“They like being around ponds, they don’t mind rain, and they are pretty hearty and make it through some of the times when we have colder days.”

Ticks can also latch onto your pets while they are outside and track the ticks inside and pass them onto you.

There are a certain number of cases that go unreported in the area but Dr. Robinson said, “We are just getting a lot better at testing for Lyme Disease and people are aware that it’s out there are they are going to their doctors.”

Dr. Robinson suggests that at the end of the day, especially during these summer months that you check your skin and your ankles and make sure you don’t find any new bumps adhering to your skin.

One of the most important things you can do is use insect repellant with 20 percent or more DEET when going outside during these warmer months.

When it comes to trying to determine if you have an infection most people experience a fever, headache, and a bulls eye rash, but not everyone gets the same symptoms.

Dr. Robinson also told the KDKA Radio Afternoon News that if you are experiencing flu like symptoms and can’t seem to shake it, it is important to consult a doctor and get checked out because there are some cases where people are unaware they were bit by a tick. After seeing your doctor they can point you in the right direction for treatment.
 
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