On November 20, 2017, the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health sent Health Advisory #141 to health care providers. The advisory said West Virginia would report the most Lyme disease cases on record in 2017.
What the numbers showed
- As of November 8, 2017, the state had 571 confirmed and probable Lyme disease cases. The previous record was 368 cases in 2016.
- As of the same date, 45 counties had reported at least one confirmed or probable case. In 2012, only 11 counties had reported a case.
The advisory gave three possible reasons for the increase: more reporting, more blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) infected with the Lyme bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, or a recent change in the national case definition. Under that change, West Virginia counted as a high-incidence Lyme disease state. An erythema migrans (bull’s-eye) rash with a known exposure in the state was enough to classify a patient as a confirmed case.
News reports on the advisory said most cases were in the Northern and Eastern panhandles, near Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Most cases occur from May through September, but ticks had become more active in winter months. Patients treated early with antibiotics usually recover quickly.
For later tick guidance, see Health Advisory #159: Vector-borne Disease Season. See also Suggestions Offered for Dealing With Mosquito-Borne Illnesses.
This guidance is from November 2017. It is kept here as a record and is not current advice. Check current guidance from the CDC or your doctor.
Sources
- West Virginia Bureau for Public Health: Health Advisory #141, Dramatic Increase in Lyme Disease Cases (November 20, 2017), formerly at oeps.wv.gov
- WOUB (Associated Press): Lyme disease cases spread across West Virginia (November 22, 2017)
- West Virginia Office of Epidemiology and Prevention Services: Lyme disease cases in West Virginia