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On April 14, Governor Baldacci signed legislation to
permanently establish May as the Lyme Disease Public Awareness Month.
Rep. Plummer Warns of Early Season for Lyme Disease
AUGUSTA – State Rep. Gary Plummer says that Lyme disease has reached every county in Maine and is striking earlier this year due to the mild winter. Cases of the disease peak in June and July, he said; but this year Mainers contracted the potentially debilitating illness as early as February. York and Cumberland counties are most heavily hit, but the disease has marched to the state’s northernmost reaches.
Rep. Plummer (R-Windham) was with Governor Baldacci today for the ceremonial signing of LD 1709, “An Act to Enhance Public Awareness of Lyme Disease.” As emergency legislation, it is already in effect. Last spring, Rep. Plummer introduced a joint resolution to recognize May 2009 as Lyme Disease Awareness Month in Maine, which passed with unanimous consent.
The new law permanently establishes May as Lyme Disease Awareness Month. It also directs the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to make appropriate information available to the public to improve education and awareness about the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. A website run by the center will link to resources recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“Summertime in Maine is when everyone is outside,” said Rep. Plummer. “We’re not going to stop working and playing outdoors. But we have to keep in mind that this threat to our health is very serious, and we should take the best precautions against it.”
The number of cases of Lyme disease in Maine has increased annually. Last year, 929 cases were reported, up from 338 in 2006. Medical experts say the actual number may be 10 times higher. The classic early sign of Lyme disease is a “bull’s-eye” rash and flu-like symptoms of fever, achiness and fatigue. But not everyone with Lyme disease gets or remembers a rash, which is most commonly an expanding, uniformly red rash. In more than half of the victims, no rash appears.
Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and is spread by the bite of an infected deer tick. The highest incidence occurs in children between the ages of five and 14. According to Mainely Ticks Inc., based in Windham, the best defense is a daily check to look for the deer ticks, which are no bigger than a poppy seed. Checks should include looking and feeling all over the body for tiny dark bumps, especially in the “hot zones” – behind the knees, in the groin, in the armpits, under the breasts, behind the ears and in the scalp. It is estimated that more than 75 percent of Lyme disease cases are contracted within 100 feet of the home.
Timely removal of a deer tick can help prevent infection. Grab the tick with fine-nosed tweezers as close to the skin as possible and pull straight up with steady pressure. Disinfect the bite site and save the tick in a plastic bag for identification.
AUGUSTA – State Rep. Gary Plummer says that Lyme disease has reached every county in Maine and is striking earlier this year due to the mild winter. Cases of the disease peak in June and July, he said; but this year Mainers contracted the potentially debilitating illness as early as February. York and Cumberland counties are most heavily hit, but the disease has marched to the state’s northernmost reaches.
Rep. Plummer (R-Windham) was with Governor Baldacci today for the ceremonial signing of LD 1709, “An Act to Enhance Public Awareness of Lyme Disease.” As emergency legislation, it is already in effect. Last spring, Rep. Plummer introduced a joint resolution to recognize May 2009 as Lyme Disease Awareness Month in Maine, which passed with unanimous consent.
The new law permanently establishes May as Lyme Disease Awareness Month. It also directs the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to make appropriate information available to the public to improve education and awareness about the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. A website run by the center will link to resources recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“Summertime in Maine is when everyone is outside,” said Rep. Plummer. “We’re not going to stop working and playing outdoors. But we have to keep in mind that this threat to our health is very serious, and we should take the best precautions against it.”
The number of cases of Lyme disease in Maine has increased annually. Last year, 929 cases were reported, up from 338 in 2006. Medical experts say the actual number may be 10 times higher. The classic early sign of Lyme disease is a “bull’s-eye” rash and flu-like symptoms of fever, achiness and fatigue. But not everyone with Lyme disease gets or remembers a rash, which is most commonly an expanding, uniformly red rash. In more than half of the victims, no rash appears.
Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and is spread by the bite of an infected deer tick. The highest incidence occurs in children between the ages of five and 14. According to Mainely Ticks Inc., based in Windham, the best defense is a daily check to look for the deer ticks, which are no bigger than a poppy seed. Checks should include looking and feeling all over the body for tiny dark bumps, especially in the “hot zones” – behind the knees, in the groin, in the armpits, under the breasts, behind the ears and in the scalp. It is estimated that more than 75 percent of Lyme disease cases are contracted within 100 feet of the home.
Timely removal of a deer tick can help prevent infection. Grab the tick with fine-nosed tweezers as close to the skin as possible and pull straight up with steady pressure. Disinfect the bite site and save the tick in a plastic bag for identification.
