I recently read a report by Minnesota Public Radio that Lyme’s disease in both dogs and humans have increased over previous years, with cases in humans increasing by 21% from 20091. Dr. Eric Thorsgard, a veterinarian at Animal Care Clinic was quoted as saying, “Lyme’s Disease has increased from 100 cases the first year they saw it, to 300-400 cases a year currently1.” In fact, Thorsgard states that he diagnoses Lyme’s disease on almost a daily basis during the summer1.
Origin of Lyme’s Disease
The story of Lyme’s Disease begins in Lyme’s Connecticut with an outbreak of atypical arthritis in a cluster of adults and children in 19752. By 1977 it was discovered that the Ixodes scapularis (black-legged) tick was responsible for transmitting the disease and in 1982, it was discovered that Borrelia burgdorferi, was the bacterium that caused the condition2. Since the recognition of the disease in Connecticut it has spread across the country with cases reported in nearly every state. The highest concentration is centered in the upper Midwest and Northeastern states3. “The blacklegged tick (or deer tick, Ixodes scapularis) spreads the disease in the Northeastern, Mid-Atlantic, and North-Central United States, and the western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus) spreads the disease on the Pacific Coast3.”
Two reasons were cited for the increase in cases with Lyme’s Disease in Minnesota. The first is increased contact with ticks from spending more time out of doors and increased numbers of ticks. The second was increased awareness and reporting of the disease by physicians and veterinarians1.
Protecting Your Pets Against Lyme’s Disease
The best way to prevent transmission is through control of ticks in the environment and to prevent ticks from attaching to your pets. Make sure that the area round your home is clear of brush which gives ticks a place to live. Mow your lawn regularly and make sure that you keep leaves and other lawn debris raked.
The ability that a tick has to spread disease is directly proportional to the amount of time it stays attached to a host. Therefore, the quicker you remove the tick the less time it has to transmit disease.
There are many good on-pet tick preventatives for dogs and cats available though your family veterinarian. Please see your veterinarian to find out which is right for your furry family member. There is no currently available vaccine for humans or cats, but there are vaccines on the market for preventing canine Lyme’s disease. Consult with your veterinarian to determine whether the vaccine is right for your dog.
1. MPR News August 03, 2011
2. A Brief History of Lyme Disease in Connecticut; Connecticut Department Public Health
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention