SPREAD OF DANGEROUS TICK-BORNE DISEASES IN NEW ENGLAND

I had made a Facebook post earlier in the year of an article by Newsweek talking about a little-know and understood type of Lyme Disease called post-treatment Lyme disease (PTLD) or post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome. I wanted to also write a blog on this subject as it is vital to know the facts and the mysteries behind PTLD. The article essentially stated that up to 2 million people can be affected by this mysterious form of Lyme by 2020.

So, what is PTLD exactly?

Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, or PTLD, is not fully understood and has no set diagnosis so treatment is not solid. PTLD has characteristics of cognitive dysfunction, debilitating fatigue as well as chronic pain. Not only that, but the cause is unknown, and could take months before recovery begins. Some believe the tick is attacking the immune system, others still are just unsure. Estimates put the treatment fail rate between 10-20% of cases, costing hundreds of millions of dollars a year.

What’s the answer?

It is tough to find accurate data on the prevalence of PTLD, since, although most Lyme Disease patients are cured with antibiotics, a large portion of these patients continue to exhibit persisting symptoms. This makes it hard to pinpoint exactly which patients are experiencing PTLD, late stage symptoms, or other health problems.

What does this mean for you?

With the increasing climate change, and the already effective “over-wintering” of the ticks that carry Lyme, it is important that you take measures to protect you and your family from a possible infection. You have lots of options, from hiding inside all year long, to going on hikes dressed head to toe in tick proof regalia, to dousing your clothes with permethrin before leaving the house. My suggestion to you is skip all that and have your property treated for ticks on a regular basis through the tick season. Having a professional company come out on a regular basis to treat areas prone to ticks, and areas of known harborage. This will knock out the tick population, keep your family and pets tick free and safe from potential threats of Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses prevalent in Connecticut.

Call Guardian Pest Control today for a free quote for Tick Treatment and get control of your back-yard again!