May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month

The month of May is dedicated to spreading awareness of a prevalent disease that is often ignored, Lyme Disease. Why May? Studies show that large numbers of individuals develop the illness during this month. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 300,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with Lyme Disease each year.

As advocates of the safety and prevention of tick-born illness, we strongly encourage people to educate themselves on Lyme Disease and ticks in general. Although many hoped the number of ticks would decrease after such a brutal winter and the polar vortex, it turns out the tick population was not affected. We have flagged for ticks several times over the past few weeks, and the numbers remain the same.

Most ticks are active late spring through mid-August, and they begin seeking hosts when temperatures average 40 degrees. May is an opportune time to set up a prevention schedule for properties to be sure Lyme Disease does not have a chance to affect your family. 

Lyme Disease Awareness Month, as designated by the Lyme Disease Foundation, is a campaign meant to promote preventative measures to take against Lyme disease. The importance of Lyme Disease Awareness Month continues to increase as the number of reported cases of Lyme Disease in the United States continues to increase each year. 

In 2012, the CDC listed New York as a top contender for Lyme disease occurrences. In fact, the CDC states 96 percent of Lyme Disease cases were reported from only 13 states, which include New York and its surrounding states like Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Connecticut. The most heavily affected regions, including Long Island’s East End, are home to a tick population with half of all its inhabitants infected.