A disease transmitted by the ticks found in the northeast moves further south, and the Baltimore region is one of the hot points of Maryland, according to a study Released last month.
According to a study published in the Journal of Medical Entomology, cases of Babesiosis, a rare disease is most often propagated by deer stings, develop in Maryland and the region of the Atlantic Middle, just like the range of ticks infected with the parasite that causes the disease.
Although the idea of a new disease transmitted by ticks to be monitored can be worrying, researchers aim to ensure that residents and health care providers are informed of the disease and its growing threat in the region, in particular the summer approach.
“This is not a problem of panic because we can diagnose it and we have a remedy,” said Ellen Stromdahl, an entomologist who has worked in the laboratory of centers’ defense health diseases for public health in Aberdeen. “This is a problem of awareness.”
Stromdahl was one of the nearly two dozen researchers who collected and tested ticks in Maryland, Delaware and Virginia, in search of those that carried the parasite that causes Babesiosis. According to the study.
The eastern shore of Maryland and the Baltimore region are hot spots for ticks bearing babesiosis, according to the study.
Many people with Babesiosis do not feel sick or do not have symptoms, according to centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but some may experience pseudo-Grippal symptoms such as a fever, chills, sweating, bodily pain, loss of appetite, nausea or fatigue.
Symptoms can start a week after being infected, but generally develop in a few weeks or months. The disease can be worse – even fatal – for the elderly or for those who have weakened immune systems.
“It’s rare, but if it is overlooked, the consequences can be really bad,” said Stromdahl.
The number of reported cases of Babesiosis in Maryland remains low, although data from the Ministry of Health of Maryland show an increase in the last decade.
In 2023, for example, 29 cases of Babesiosis were reported in Maryland – a leap of seven cases in 2022 and 13 cases in 2021.
Lyme disease, the disease transmitted by the most common ticks in Maryland, is much more widespread, with 2,463 probable cases reported in 2023. Some symptoms of Lyme disease can be similar to Babesiosis, but both diseases are treated differently, said Stromdahl.
Doctors generally prescribe antibiotics for Lyme disease. But if you are still sick even after taking antibiotics, it may be time to go back to the doctor and ask questions about Babesiosis, said Stromdahl.
How to stay safe
If you spend time outside in grassy, bushy or wooded areas, wear long pants and a long sleeve shirt. When you enter inside, check your clothes and your body for all ticks. And if you find a tick, remove it quickly using tweezers. You can eliminate the tick by putting it in a sealed bag or subjecting it in alcohol.
If you are bitten by a tick, you can also save him to show a doctor, said Stromdahl.
Do you have a tip? Contact Natalie Jones at najones@baltsun.com.
