Rates of Lyme Disease Highest in Delaware and Vermont - East Idaho News

Rates of Lyme Disease Highest in Delaware and Vermont

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Getty 062012 Tick?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1378284570010iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Delaware and Vermont have something in common that they would prefer not to have.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says these states are tops for the nation’s highest rates of Lyme Disease.

Based on figures from 2011, Delaware confirmed 84 cases for every 100,000 residents while Vermont had 76 cases per 100,000.

Lyme disease, which comes from ticks infected by mice and deer, can lead to joint pain and affect the nervous system if left untreated.  Caught in time, the condition can be eradicated by antibiotics.

With hunting season approaching, sportsmen are being warned to take extra precautions, especially if they’re shooting game in Delaware and Vermont.

Just recently, the CDC revealed that the actual incidence of Lyme disease, which is put at 30,000 confirmed cases annually, is probably 10 times higher than that because it often goes under-reported and undiagnosed.

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