Health officials warning of Lyme Disease ahead of warm weather
Pennsylvania has high rates of Lyme Disease overall. According to the Department of Environmental Protection, 25% of deer ticks in the state carry the transmittable bacteria.
St. Luke School students welcome spring with bubbly tradition
As people return to outdoor activities, the Erie County Health Department has tips to limit your risk.
Those include staying in the middle of trails, treating yourself and pets with repellant, and checking for ticks afterward.
Deer ticks are only about the size of a sesame seed so it's important to be vigilant.
Future opperation of Bicentenial Tower murkey ahead of tourism season
'So a lot of times they're in their armpits, or the backs of their knees. around their waistline. And knowing that they crawl up. They don't jump so start with your feet and work your way up,' said Breanna Adams, director of environmental health services for the Erie County Dept. of Health.
Adams said if a tick has attached to you, remove it with tweezers or a tick tool. Consult your doctor if you have symptoms including achy joints, fever, fatigue or a bull's eye rash.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
8 hours ago
- CBS News
California is seeing spike in tick-borne illness anaplasmosis, experts warn
Ticks carrying a disease called anaplasmosis are spreading quickly throughout California, experts say. The disease is mainly showing up in dogs. Since dogs spend more time outdoors, experts say rising cases in pets could signal that humans may soon be at greater risk. More than half of the state's counties are now considered "high risk," according to the nonprofit group Companion Animal Parasite Council's data. "There's not a lot of awareness in California because most people think it's primarily a disease of the Upper Midwest and Northeast," said Dr. Jane Sykes, a professor of veterinary medicine at UC Davis. The culprit is the same western black-legged tick that spreads Lyme disease. In dogs, anaplasmosis can cause fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, and weight loss. In some cases, dogs may also experience nosebleeds, neck pain, or even seizures. "They kind of look depressed, dull, they don't want to move," Sykes said. "They have a fever, and sometimes they can develop vomiting." Veterinarians say diagnosis can be difficult, especially if owners don't mention that their dogs are often in tick-prone areas, making awareness critical. The good news: the illness can be treated quickly with antibiotics. "It doesn't matter when you give the antibiotics, it just costs more to have your dog in the hospital, not feeling well, going back in and out of veterinary clinics before the right diagnosis is made," Sykes explained. According to the Companion Animal Parasite Council, between 2021 and 2024 the number of dogs testing positive for the illness nearly tripled. More than half of California's counties are now at "high risk," including Yolo, Placer, and El Dorado counties. Veterinarians say the best way to keep dogs safe is year-round tick and flea prevention, as well as examining pets after walks in grassy or wooded areas.
New York Post
5 days ago
- New York Post
Eric Adams is right — we need involuntary treatment to solve the public drug scourge
Can New York clean up its public drug-use problem? Mayor Eric Adams aims to try: On Thursday, he called on the state Legislature to allow clinicians and judges to compel people into treatment when their drug use is hurting them and the city. 'We must help those struggling finally get treatment, whether they recognize the need for it or not,' Adams said at an event hosted by the Manhattan Institute (where I work). Advertisement 'Addiction doesn't just harm individual users; it tears apart lives, families and entire communities, and we must change the system to keep all New Yorkers safer.' Adams' proposed state law, the Compassionate Interventions Act, may face an uphill battle in Albany, as 'harm reduction' advocates assail it as coercive and dangerous. But involuntary treatment should be a tool in New York's arsenal for dealing with the public drug use that has plagued it for years. Advertisement There's no doubt the city has a problem. Last year it reported nearly 4,000 homeless residents with a history of chronic substance use — probably an undercount, as such people are less likely to be identified by the city's annual late-night census. Regardless, it's not hard to find people shooting up on New York's streets — just visit the Hub in The Bronx or Washington Square Park in Manhattan. Such behavior makes whole swaths of the city unlivable. Advertisement Public drug use hurts both users — there were more than 2,100 overdose deaths in the five boroughs last year — and the places where they use. It deters commerce, and creates environments conducive to more serious crime. Too often the city has responded to these situations with benign neglect, exemplified by its two 'supervised consumption sites,' which give people a place to use with Narcan-wielding staff standing by. These sites continue to operate, in spite of the fact that they don't work and violate federal law. Advertisement Leaving people free to abuse drugs, it turns out, doesn't save lives. Involuntary treatment, by contrast, tries to correct the behavior that drives drug users to hurt both themselves and others. That's why 37 other states already permit it — and why New York under Adams' plan would join them. Critics will insist that involuntary drug treatment doesn't work, and that people have to want to change. But the balance of the evidence suggests that involuntary treatment performs as well as voluntary treatment. That's backed up both by older research on California's involuntary-treatment scheme, and by strong indications that drug courts, which route drug offenders into treatment instead of prison, can reduce recidivism. Opponents will also say that it's immoral to compel people to get treatment they don't want, and that it violates their 'bodily autonomy.' Advertisement But there's no right to shoot up in public spaces, or to ruin your body with fentanyl. And New Yorkers should have the right to expect their public spaces to be free from disorder, including public drug use. The biggest challenge for Adams, though, may be the state's limited treatment capacity. New York state as a whole has only 134 long-term residential treatment facilities. As of 2023, the most recent available data, they were serving 2,935 clients — fewer than the city's tallied homeless drug-addict population. Advertisement Implementing the Compassionate Interventions Act will almost certainly require more funding for treatment beds, much as Adams' previous efforts to institutionalize the seriously mentally ill did. That will have to be part of any ask in Albany. But the mayor's proposal will also allow diversion to outpatient treatment programs, including a new $27 million investment in contingency management therapy — an evidence-based intervention that has been shown to help treat drug addiction. What happens if Albany says no to Adams' proposal? Or if Adams is out of the mayoralty come the next legislative session? Advertisement The NYPD can still work to clear encampments. And the city can still try to divert drug users into its drug-courts system, which, while useful, faces administrative problems and lacks transparency. But actually getting drug users the help they need, rather than just cycling them through the city's jails, will be hard — much as the administration struggled to handle the seriously mentally ill before it had the power to compel them into treatment. The success of Adams' initiative to assist the mentally ill homeless — over 3,500 people moved from the subways and streets to housing, according to the mayor's office — is a sign that such strategies can work elsewhere. Advertisement Expanding the approach to public drug use is the next logical step. Albany should get on board. Charles Fain Lehman is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute and senior editor of City Journal.
Axios
6 days ago
- Axios
Why these wild rabbits have "horn-like" warts on their heads
Cottontail rabbits in Colorado have been spotted with "wart-like" growths on their faces. But don't worry — they're OK. Why it matters: The viral infection causing the horn-like growth spurts can come from ticks, according to public officials, which is yet another sign of this summer's unusually "out of control" tick season. Driving the news: Residents in Colorado spotted rabbits with black spurts on their head this week, drawing comparisons to zombies and Frankenstein's monster. Some called them " tentacle rabbits." Others deemed them nightmare fuel. Yes, but: The warts and horns aren't uncommon as they are likely the result of the papillomavirus, which has been seen in Colorado before, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Kara Van Hoose. "The virus is spread through biting insects like fleas or ticks. It causes wart-like growths on the face," she said. Van Hoose said she's received a dozen reports of the rabbits, though it's likely some people are seeing the same bunnies. What to know about the papillomas virus Papillomavirus mainly affects cottontail rabbits, per the National Library of Medicine, and is often seen in those rabbits living the Midwest. Signs of infection include "black nodules on the skin, usually the head," according to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife's website. "Growths can sometimes become elongated, taking on a horn‐like appearance," the website reads. Context: These dark growths don't hurt the rabbits outright, but they could impact their ability to eat or drink, according to Van Hoose. Most cottontail rabbits survive the infection. "The virus is mostly benign in rabbits," Van Hoose said. "The animal can clear the virus from its system on its own." " We would be concerned only if the growths are on the eyes or impede the rabbit's ability to eat," she said. Worth noting: The papillomavirus cannot spread to humans or pets, though there are human strains of it, Van Hoose said. She warned for pets to stay away from the rabbits, though. Tick season impacts "horn-like" rabbits What to know: The spread of the infection for rabbits comes amid a bug boom of ticks and other insects, which is fueled by climate change and invasive species. Tick-related emergency room visits are up nationwide, hitting peak levels not seen since summer 2019, according to CDC data. Humans can contract multiple health issues from ticks, including Lyme Disease. The Northeast, as well as Washington, D.C., have been particularly hit hard for tick bites.
