Pa. leads the nation in Lyme disease cases, and kids make up about half of them

[FakeNoose]

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette link: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2023/06/18/tick-season-lyme-disease-pennsylvania/stories/202306090067

Pennsylvania continues to lead the nation with the highest number of Lyme disease cases, and health officials are trying to better protect children, who make up about half of the reported cases, according to the Pedi Lyme Network.

Melanie Haynes of Ross watched her 3-year-old daughter, Josie, frolic on a recent comfortable spring evening at a North Park playground. When they got home, an important task awaited.

“We check every night — all [body] crevices and hair for ticks — before Josie goes to bed,” she said. “We have found a couple of ticks we had to remove.”

Haynes’ older daughter had previously been infected with Lyme disease, she said, coming down with symptoms that dissipated after treatment with antibiotics. So she has a strategy to deal with potential future Lyme disease infections: vigilant surveillance.

- more at link -

Yikes! I usually check my dog for ticks but I never realized how vulnerable the little kids are too!