Tick-borne Lyme diseases cases on the rise in US. How high is your risk in Kentucky?

Lyme disease is one of the most prevalent insect-borne diseases in the country, with far more cases each year than others carried by mosquitoes, fleas and ticks, such as West Nile Virus.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent Lyme disease data is from 2022. That year, there were more than 62,000 reported U.S. cases of the tick-borne disease, but the CDC estimates because of underreporting, the true number of annual cases could be seven times that amount.

According to the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, probable and confirmed cases of Lyme disease in the commonwealth have been on the rise since 2020 (around 30 cases reported), and in 2022, with around 70 cases reported, the state surpassed its previous 10-year high from 2015 (around 50 cases reported).

The prevalence of the disease, which is spread to people through the bite of a blacklegged tick, or a deer tick, has increased dramatically since the U.S. first began tracking the disease in 1991. While better surveillance explains part of the increase, the warming climate has also made more of the country suitable for the ticks that carry the disease.

The deer tick is found in Kentucky, but is not the most common variety found here. The much more prevalent dog tick and Lone Star tick both carry diseases of their own, such as alpha-gal syndrome, or the red meat allergy.

Here’s a look at how deer ticks have spread across the U.S. since 1996.

While Lyme disease is most prevalent in the northeastern U.S., as ticks have spread, so has the disease. In 2022, Vermont had one of the highest numbers of cases per capita with nearly 200 cases per 100,000 people. In 1996, the state reported just one case per 100,000 people. The Midwest has especially seen an increase in cases, the latest CDC data indicates.

Lyme disease in Kentucky

While reported cases of Lyme disease have increased in Kentucky recently, according to the state data, in 2022, a University of Kentucky researcher said claims Kentucky was a hotbed state for the disease are misleading.

In an interview in late September, UK’s Dr. Reddy Palli, who also serves as the state entomologist, said that still holds true: Lyme disease, while possible to contract in the Bluegrass State, is less prevalent here because that tick variety itself is less common.

“What we are finding is more than 90% of ticks that are in Kentucky fortunately don’t carry the vector for Lyme disease, the bacteria that cases Lyme disease,” he recently told the Herald-Leader.

That said, Palli noted there are “definitely” greater tick populations in the state now than in the past, particularly the Lone Star tick variety, which can transmit alpha-gal syndrome.

If you’ve been bitten by a tick in Kentucky and would like to have the specimen tested, UK’s entomology department offers that service, the Herald-Leader previously reported.

How to protect yourself from pesky ticks

The CDC advises people wear long pants and shirts when in tick-infested environments, such as wooded areas or spots with tall grass, and to tuck pants into socks to create a barrier. The agency also advises checking sensitive areas, such as armpits and behind ears, after spending time outside

Lyme disease can be identified by a red, circular rash that appears at the site of a tick bite three to 30 days after being bitten. The CDC recommends going to a health care provider immediately once the rash is visible.

When treated early, Lyme disease symptoms can go away entirely. However, if it is not treated early, the disease can be chronic, with symptoms such as arthritis, fatigue and persistent body aches.

While Lyme disease is most commonly reported in the spring, summer and fall, ticks can be active at any time the temperature is above freezing.

Central service journalism editor Jackie Starkey contributed to this report.