MOUNT VERNON — Spring has sprung. That means ticks are out and about and looking for a meal. People and pets working and playing outdoors in woody or weedy areas may be exposed to ticks and, possibly, tick-borne diseases including Lyme disease.
Previously believed to be contracted only on the East Coast, Lyme disease, a bacterial disease, is spreading west, and has migrated to Ohio, said Terri Hillier, a registered sanitarian with the Knox County Health Department.
“We didn’t think it was here,” she said, “but it is. Four-hundred black-legged ticks have been found right next door to us in Coshocton County, and 40 percent of them tested positive for Lyme disease.”
For the full story, click here for the May 11, 2011 e-edition
