WALLINGFORD, Conn. (WTIC) – May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month and officials are spreading the word, as this time of year brings an increase in tick activity.
During a news conference Friday at Wharton Brook State Park in Wallingford, Senator Richard Blumenthal and Dr. Jocelyn Mullins from the Connecticut Department of Public Health discussed the 2019 tick season, highlighted the need for additional funding to prevent the disease and also spoke about the preventative measures residents and their pets can take before going outside.
For funding, Senator Blumenthal has requested the Senate Appropriations Committee double the amount of federal funding for Lyme disease research at the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Disease and appropriate an additional $5 million for Lyme disease surveillance at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The funding would be distributed based on research needs. At least 300,000 people nationwide are diagnosed with Lyme disease each year and the incidence of this disease has increased by more than 300% over the past 25 years.
Connecticut also has one of the highest incidence rates among all states. DPH officials say people can prevent Lyme disease by wearing long pants tucked into long socks when they go outside and wear insect repellent as well.
Most importantly, however, is the need to check for ticks after every trip outside. That includes checking pets as well, as cats and dogs can attract ticks and bring them into the house.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection primarily transmitted by deer ticks, which are typically found in wooded and grassy areas.
