Spring Is Here, Ushering in More Tick-Borne Diseases Than Ever

As much of the country starts warming up to Spring temperatures and people head outside to enjoy nature, you can expect a return of patients concerned that they could have contracted an illness from tick bites. Not just a return, actually, but an increase as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that while incidence of tick-borne illness in general has risen 25% since 2011, the increase is especially acute in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Babesiosis is proving to be of particular concern currently. While it can be completely asymptomatic, it’s also capable of causing mild-to-severe illness and death. When they do appear, symptoms include fever, chills, sweating, fatigue, myalgias, hepatosplenomegaly, and hemolytic anemia.