LYME DISEASE SPREADS TO ROANE AND OTHER COUNTIES

(08/22/2015)

Four West Virginia counties are newly considered endemic for Lyme disease,including Roane, Kanawha, Marshall and Wetzel. Those counties recently met the endemic designation because they had at least two Lyme disease cases reported, including erythema migrans, also known as "bulls-eye rash." The cases received CDC laboratory confirmation and the sufferers acquired the disease within the reporting county. Overall, 11 West Virginia counties are now endemic. "Now that we know that we have Lyme disease in our community, we know that we can tell people to wear clothing that is appropriate for going out in the woods," he said. "Try to wear long sleeves and long pants." Lyme disease is transmitted from the black-legged deer tick. Officials said if you have a tick on you, it does not mean you're going to get Lyme disease. It has to be only that one kind of tick and it has to have been there for at least 36 hours for you to be able to even have a chance to get the disease. This year West Virginia has reported 119 confirmed and probable cases of Lyme disease. Eighty-four cases were reported from the other endemic counties of Berkeley, Hampshire, Hancock, Jefferson, Mineral, Morgan and Wood.

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