Deborah Rice, on the far left, told the Board of Health that with the warm weather, there has been an increase in tick-borne illnesses.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Public Health Nurse Deborah Rice is concerned with an uptick in tick-borne illnesses.

 

Rice said there have been 35 confirmed cases of anaplasmosis and 14 suspected cases reported this quarter in Berkshire County.

 

She said there are 45 suspected Lyme disease cases and five confirmed.

 

"We've already seen an abundance of tick-borne illness," Rice told the Board of Health on Wednesday.

 

"The tick-borne disease has increased tremendously since the first quarter."

 

Anaplasmosis is potentially fatal if not treated properly — if only for less than 1 percent of the those infected. It can lead to difficulty breathing, hemorrhages, and renal failure.

 

Lyme disease can cause fatigue, fevers and chills, headache, muscle and joint pain, and swollen lymph nodes. It can spread to the nervous system and heart.

 

Both are contracted through deer ticks, which are found in tall grass and wooded areas. They can be as small as a poppy seed and attach to a host, feeding off blood.

 

"They crawl upwards. They like to crawl up your clothing," Rice said. 

 

The ticks are most active in warm weather. Rice suggests residents take precautions when going outside and check daily to find and remove any that have attached. The longer the ticks are attached to a host, the more likelihood they are to spread disease.

 

The number of Lyme disease cases are on par with other years. In 2013, Berkshire County had 99 suspected or confirmed cases. However, that's only the tip of the iceberg. Public Health Director Gina Armstrong recently said the actual numbers could be 10 times more because those diseases are not required to be reported.

Ticks crawl up legs and attach themselves to soft skin. They can carry diseases.

Protection from ticks can be as simple as tucking pants into shoes, wearing light clothing to see them better, and using tick repellent.

Should a tick attach itself, remove it carefully to ensure all of it is taken out. The arachnid attaches itself to softer skin — like behind ears or on necks. 

Pets are also susceptible to the diseases. 

 

In the last year, city officials have voiced a concern that many people are unaware of the potential hazard.

 

Last month, the City Council's Health and Safety Subcommittee asked for Armstrong to give a presentation about the risks. 

 

"A lot of people are unaware of the particulars. They may generally understand that ticks are a bad thing and they may generally understand to check. But, theses details are vitally important," Ward 6 Councilor John Krol said at that meeting. 

 

"It is an increasing issue. The presence of ticks are really coming east. ... We are right in the heart of it and it doesn't seem like it is going away."