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If you thought you were safe from Lyme disease because you don't
live in New England, where the tick-borne illness first
appeared, think again. Now, all 50 states plus the District of
Columbia have residents who have tested positive for Lyme, a
bacterial infection that can cause a wide variety of symptoms,
including joint aches, fatigue, facial palsy and neck stiffness.

This news comes from a report from the clinical laboratory Quest
Diagnostics, which analyzed the results of 6 million blood tests
doctors had ordered to diagnose Lyme disease in their patients.
The report found that Pennsylvania had the most positive cases
last year: 10,001.

The Pennsylvania tally, along with that of the six New England
states - Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode
Island and Vermont - accounted for about 60 percent of the
country's Lyme disease cases. Positive results grew by 50
percent in New England and by 78 percent in Pennsylvania from
2016 to 2017.

However, the number of positive tests spiked in some areas not
traditionally linked to Lyme disease. Florida, for instance, had
501 infections, up 77 percent since 2015. California had 483
people with positive test results - a 194.5 percent increase
from 2015.

A telltale sign of Lyme disease is a bull's-eye rash, but rashes
with other shapes are common, too. Oral antibiotics cure most
cases, especially when treatment starts early, but the infection
can spread beyond the site of the bite if not treated. Some
people have complained of symptoms that persist, and the
National Institutes of Health is conducting research into
chronic (or post-treatment) Lyme disease syndrome.

https://www.sfgate.com/lifestyle/article/Lyme-disease-is-now-in- all-50-states-13133495.php
 

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