Tick season at hand in St. Lawrence County

BY JIMMY LAWTON

North Country This Week

Fatigue, fever, rash, joint pain, nausea and vomiting are just a few of the symptoms associated with tick borne illnesses.

If you’re experiencing any of those symptoms and you spend even a moderate amount of time outside, St. Lawrence County Public Health officials are recommending you ask your doctor to test for a variety of common illnesses associated with tick bites.

A growing problem

As tick populations continue to rise in St. Lawrence County so do the number and variety of infections associated with the parasites.

Prior to 2000 tick borne illnesses were practically unheard of here, but in the past two decades tick populations have exploded. While it’s hard to say by exactly how much, public health officials say they’ve seen a dramatic rise in infections.

St. Lawrence County Public Health Director Jolene Munger says it’s a public health concern that everyone should take seriously.

Munger said in 2018 there were 70 lab confirmed cases of tick-borne illnesses. In 2022 there were 336.

From January to April 14 of this year there have already been 122 confirmed cases. 

Munger said the actual number of infections are likely much higher as patients are sometimes treated without testing for the illness.

Not just Lyme

In the past when we talked about tick borne illness we focused on Lyme, but unfortunately, that’s no longer the only disease public health recommends seeking tests for. Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis and Ehrlichiosis are a risk as well now.

Tick season technically runs from March to November, but since the symptoms are typical of many other illnesses, it can be easy to misdiagnose without proper testing.

“One of the big things is people forget. They don’t always remember to tell their doctor – hey, I spend a lot of time outdoors,” she said. “They might not remember seeing a tick on them or they don’t have the rash so they don’t think about it.”

Munger says the famous bull’s-eye rash can be…