Surveillance data from the Putnam County Department of Health indicates higher than average cases of the tickborne disease anaplasmosis in County residents for 2023. Preliminary data shows 36 cases recorded for the first six months of 2023. This number is on par with counts seen in the first six months of 2021, the year with the highest case count on record, and may continue to increase with investigations still ongoing. An advisory was sent to county healthcare providers today, July 3.

Anaplasmosis can occur at any time of the year. Cases typically peak in June and July, coinciding with the active season of the nymphal Ixodes scapularis ticks responsible for most disease transmission.

Anaplasmosis symptoms typically begin one to two weeks after the bite of an infected tick. They include fever, chills, headaches, and muscle aches. Anaplasmosis can cause severe illness if treatment is delayed, or if other medical conditions are present. Prompt treatment reduces the risk of severe illness.

Ticks, tick bites, and tickborne diseases are very common in Putnam County and the entire Hudson Valley. Ticks are very small, and sometimes their bites go undetected. The Putnam County Department of Health recommends residents seek medical care if they become ill with symptoms compatible with anaplasmosis, even if they are not aware of having been bitten by a tick.

Case numbers may be higher some years than others but there are always seasonal rises in spring and summer. Despite year-to-year variations, the take-home message from the health department remains: Prevention is the best strategy.

The health department urges the following recommendations:

• When possible, avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter where the most ticks are found.
• When venturing out use EPA registered repellents and wear clothing and use gear that has been treated with permethrin.
• When you return home:
  • Carefully examine and remove any ticks on your clothes, gear or pets.
  • Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks. If clothing is wet, additional time in the dryer is needed.
  • Take a shower and do a full body tick check. The sooner an attached tick is removed, the less likely it is to transmit disease.

Staff from the health department have been educating the public about tick bite prevention strategies at community events and posting tick warning signs about ticks at parks and camps around the county. Additionally diagnostic and treatment resources are being distributed to health care providers by the department.

For more information on ticks and tickborne disease visit: https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/index.html or https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/lyme/

To request a presentation on tickborne disease prevention for your organization, please click here.