(Long Island N.Y) Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman (I-Montauk) today introduced legislation to expand the Suffolk County’s role in combating tick-borne illnesses. The legislation requires the division of Suffolk County Vector Control to submit a yearly plan to reduce the incidence of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.
Suffolk County controls the spread of insect-borne diseases such as West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis through the division of Vector Control. To date, the division has focused its attention on mosquito-borne illnesses, despite the fact that it was specifically created to focus on both mosquito and tick-borne illnesses. The annual budget for the division of Vector Control is $2.5 million.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports 300,000 yearly cases of Lyme disease. There are 1,000 cases of West Nile per year making it 300 times more likely that a Suffolk County resident will contract Lyme disease than West Nile virus.
“The county has done a good job preventing West Nile, but needs to step up efforts to reduce Lyme disease,” said Legislator Schneiderman.
Under Schneiderman’s legislation, the yearly Suffolk County Vector Control plan would include a section on the steps being taken to reduce the incidence of tick-borne illnesses. This section shall include the work to be done, the methods to be employed and methodologies to determine the effectiveness of the program.
Lyme disease is an epidemic on the east end of Long Island. Most of us have been impacted in some way by tick-borne disease. Suffolk County needs to play an active role to control this growing health problem,” said Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski. Legislator Krupski is a co-sponsor to this legislation.
“Towns and villages are struggling to develop plans to respond to the growing Lyme disease cases,” said Schneiderman. “The county should be playing a leadership role in prevention.”
Areas like Shelter Island and North Haven have been exploring the 4-Poster system. The 4-Poster device is a passive feeding station designed to control ticks that utilize white-tailed deer as a host.
There are multiple types of tick-borne illnesses in Suffolk County including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Babesiosis and Ehrlichiosis. In the late 20th century, Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, was recognized as an important emerging infection. Since its identification nearly 30 years ago, Lyme disease has continued to spread, and there have been an increasing number of cases in the Northeastern and North Central parts of the U.S.
The Lyme disease agent, Borrelia burgdorferi, causes infection by migration through tissues, adhesion to host cells, and evasion of immune clearance. Ecological conditions favorable to the disease, and the challenge of prevention, make it certain that Lyme disease will be a continuing public health concern. It is now the most commonly reported arthropod-borne illness in the U.S. Since surveillance for Lyme disease begun in the U.S. by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of reported cases has increased steadily, and in the year 2000, more than 18,000 cases were reported.
Lyme disease is now the most widespread vector-borne disease in the U.S. In 2013, as many as 300,000 Americans will be diagnosed with Lyme disease. The new figure is the CDC’s most comprehensive attempt at a better estimate. The number of cases comes from a survey of seven national laboratories, a national patient survey and a review of insurance information. Lyme disease is under reported according to the CDC, which estimates that the reported cases may be 10% of the total number of actual cases.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is a tick borne disease caused by rickettsia, a microbe that differs somewhat from bacteria and virus. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is characterized by a sudden onset of moderate to high fever, severe headaches, fatigue, deep muscle pain, chills and rash. Symptoms usually appear within two weeks of the bite of an infected tick.
Babesiosis is a rare, severe and sometimes fatal tick borne disease caused by various types of Babesia, a microscopic parasite that infects red blood cells. While anyone can get Babesiosis it can be more severe in the elderly or those with weakened immune systems. The disease can cause fever, fatigue and hemolytic anemia lasting for several days to several months.
Ehrlichiosis is a tick borne disease that can be caused by two different bacteria. It is caused by Ehrlichia chaffeensis, which is transmitted by the Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum). The symptoms are the same and usually include fever, muscle aches, weakness and headaches. Unlike Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a rash is not common. Infection may be life-threatening or even fatal.
Of the total vector borne illnesses found in the United States, Lyme disease is by far the most prominent. It accounts for more than 95% of vector-borne illness cases. “The County Health Department needs to develop a comprehensive approach to reducing Lyme disease and other tick borne illnesses, said Legislator Schneiderman. “A primary function of government is to protect the health and welfare of residents of Suffolk County. “It is time for Suffolk County to take a lead role in preventing the incidence of tick-borne illnesses.”
