3 days ago
Rare tick-borne illness moving south to Maryland, study says
A tick-borne illness typically found in the Northeast is moving farther south, and the Baltimore region is one of Maryland's hot spots, according to a study released last month.
Cases of babesiosis, a rare disease most commonly spread by bites from deer ticks, are growing in Maryland and the mid-Atlantic region, according to a study published in the Journal of Medical Entomology, and so is the range of ticks infected with the parasite that causes the disease.
While the idea of a new tick-borne disease to watch out for can be worrisome, researchers are aiming to ensure that residents and health care providers are informed about the illness and its growing threat in the area, especially as summer approaches.
'It's not a freak-out issue because we can diagnose it and we have a cure,' said Ellen Stromdahl, an entomologist who worked at the Defense Centers for Public Health's vector-borne disease laboratory in Aberdeen. 'It's an awareness issue.'
Stromdahl was one of nearly two dozen researchers who collected and tested ticks in Maryland, Delaware and Virginia, looking for ones that carried the parasite that causes babesiosis. Less than 3% of the deer ticks researchers tested were found to be infected with the parasite, according to the study.
Maryland's Eastern Shore and the Baltimore region are hot spots for ticks carrying babesiosis, the study says.
Many people with babesiosis don't feel sick or have symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but some may experience flu-like symptoms such as a fever, chills, sweating, body aches, appetite loss, nausea or fatigue.
Symptoms may start a week after being infected, but typically develop over the course of a few weeks or months. The illness can be worse — even life-threatening — for older people or for those who have weakened immune systems.
'It's rare, but if it's overlooked, the consequences can be really bad,' Stromdahl said.
The number of reported cases of babesiosis in Maryland remains low, though data from the Maryland Department of Health show an increase over the past decade.
In 2023, for instance, there were 29 reported babesiosis cases in Maryland — a jump from seven cases in 2022 and 13 cases in 2021.
Lyme disease, Maryland's most common tick-borne illness, is far more prevalent, with 2,463 probable cases reported in 2023. Some symptoms of Lyme disease can be similar to babesiosis, but the two illnesses are treated differently, Stromdahl said.
Doctors generally prescribe antibiotics for Lyme disease. But if you're still sick even after taking antibiotics, it may be time to return to the doctor and ask about babesiosis, Stromdahl said.
If you spend time outside in grassy, bushy or wooded areas, wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. When you come inside, check your clothing and body for any ticks. And if you find a tick, remove it quickly using tweezers. You can dispose of the tick by putting it in a sealed bag or submersing it in alcohol.
If you're bitten by a tick, you can save it to show to a doctor, too, Stromdahl said.
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