DPH Launches Lyme Disease Awareness Campaign https://news.delaware.gov/category/dhss/" rel="nofollow - Delaware Health and Social Services | https://news.delaware.gov/category/dhss/public-health-dhss/" rel="nofollow - Division of Public Health | https://news.delaware.gov/category/featured-posts/" rel="nofollow - Featured Posts | https://news.delaware.gov/category/news/" rel="nofollow - News | Date Posted: Friday, May 4, 2018
DOVER — While many Delawareans couldn’t be happier
to see spring’s arrival and winter’s departure, the Division of Public
Health (DPH) is warning residents that with warm weather comes ticks,
fleas, mosquitoes and increased chances of vector-borne diseases.
Whether staying home or traveling in the coming months, DPH wants to
remind Delawareans of the risk of these diseases, which include Lyme
disease, Zika, and West Nile Virus, and to share prevention tips.
“While we want everyone to get outside and enjoy the weather, taking
advantage of additional opportunities for family time and exercise, we
also hope each person takes the proper precautions to protect themselves
and others, especially children, as well as pets from the diseases that
can potentially come with insect bites,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl
Rattay.
According to data just released by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC), in 2016, Delaware reported 545 cases of tick borne
diseases and 35 cases of mosquito borne diseases. The CDC listed Lyme
disease as the state’s top tick borne disease, accounting for 93 percent
(506) of the cases. DPH recently finalized its 2017 data and is
reporting 608 cases of Lyme disease last year, an increase of more than
100 cases since 2016. The CDC believes that the actual number of Lyme
disease cases nationwide is 10 times higher than what is reported to
doctors or state and county health departments.
Since May is also Lyme Disease Awareness Month, DPH has launched a
campaign titled, “BLAST Lyme disease,” which was adapted with permission
from the Ridgefield, Connecticut, BLAST Program. The “BLAST” acronym is
a simple way to remember five simple steps you can take to protect
yourself, family, and pets from Lyme disease:
• Bathe or shower within two hours of coming indoors.
• Look for ticks on your body and remove them.
• Apply repellent to your body and clothes.
• Spray your yard.
• Treat your pet.
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United
States with approximately 20,000 new cases reported each year. It is
frequently characterized by an expanding red rash, commonly referred to
as a “bull’s eye rash.” Rashes can occur anywhere on the body and vary
in size and shape. The rash can be warm to the touch, but usually not
painful or itchy. Not all patients will develop the characteristic rash.
Other symptoms include fever and or chills, fatigue, muscle and joint
aches, and headaches. Untreated infections can lead to symptoms
including severe joint pain and swelling (usually large joints,
particularly the knees), loss of muscle tone on one or both sides of the
face (called “Bell’s palsy”), heart palpitations and dizziness, severe
headaches and neck stiffness due to meningitis, and neurological
problems (i.e., numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, problems with
concentration and short-term memory).
The BLAST campaign will run through the summer and early fall months
and includes advertisements on Facebook, several local websites, and
Spanish-language publications. DPH has also updated its website to
include fun activities for children to learn about Lyme disease called
“Kids Korner,” and has detailed instructions for tick removal. To see
these features and learn more about Lyme disease, visit de.gov/lyme.
Additionally, education packets have been sent to all public, private
and charter schools, public libraries, and licensed summer camps. DPH
is also mailing materials to pediatricians and family practice
providers, coordinating with DNREC on outreach to state parks and
providing email communications to community partners.
All of Delaware’s reported mosquito-borne diseases last year were
travel-related and not spread through the bite of a mosquito locally.
The CDC reported Delaware’s top mosquito-borne disease in 2016 as Zika
(17 cases). Malaria accounted for another 16 cases, and Dengue for the
last two.
Although Delaware has not had a reported Zika case since 2016, the
disease still poses a threat, particularly to those traveling abroad and
those who are, or may become, pregnant. Zika is a disease caused by a
virus primarily transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes
mosquito. Most people who are infected with Zika do not develop
symptoms. About one in five people infected with the virus develop the
disease and symptoms are generally mild. Anyone who lives or travels in
the impacted areas can be infected.
Zika symptoms, typically include rash, fever, joint pain and
conjunctivitis (red eyes). The largest health impact of the Zika virus
appears to be on infants whose mother was infected during pregnancy.
There have been reports of a serious birth defect of the brain called
microcephaly, a condition in which a baby’s head is smaller than
expected when compared to babies of the same sex and age, as well as
other poor pregnancy outcomes. To learn about Zika risks and how to
protect yourself from Zika, visit http://de.gov/zika" rel="nofollow - de.gov/zika .
A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or
speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY
services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a
relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH.
The relay operator types the hearing person’s spoken words back to the
TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit http://delawarerelay.com" rel="nofollow - http://delawarerelay.com .
Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the
quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and
well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable
populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make
healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more
fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of
recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1
or more hours of physical activity each day, and drink almost no sugary
beverages. Source and advertisment photo for campaign: https://news.delaware.gov/2018/05/04/dph-launches-lyme-disease-awareness-campaign/" rel="nofollow - https://news.delaware.gov/2018/05/04/dph-launches-lyme-disease-awareness-campaign/
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