Lyme disease is rising in South Carolina as a serious health concern but before it was considered as rare in the southeastern United States.
Through this blog, we will understand how Lyme disease is growing in the region, what are the risk factors, and how to protect yourself from Lyme disease exposure.
Here we will also learn about the history of Lyme disease in the state, and how the perceptions are changed with time.
Let's start exploring the knowledge we need to identify early signs of Lyme disease, diagnostic criteria, and preventive methods to protect health against Lyme disease in South Carolina.
What is Lyme Disease and how it is transmitted in South Carolina?
- Lyme disease is a tick borne medical issue caused by a bacteria named Borrelia burgdorferi, transmitted through the bite of an infected black legged tick.
- However, Lyme disease is more common in the northeastern and upper midwestern United States but it is growing in South Carolina and this is increasingly recognized.
- The primary vector of Lyme disease which is black legged tick called Ixodes scapularis, has a two years of life cycle during which they have 3 stages- larva, nymph, and adult.
- Increasing growth of disease is because of nymphs as they are small and often go unnoticed.
- Lyme disease in South Carolina transmitted through bacteria and as per the availability of suitable hosts.
- Chances of contracting Lyme disease remain low in comparison to other regions but the presence of the tick and transmission of disease highlight the importance of preventive methods.
Lyme Disease prevalence in South Carolina
- Lyme disease is not conventional in South Carolina as in some regions, the increasing cases shows the importance of awareness and preventive methods.
- As per research, South Carolina has not been observed as a high incidence area specific for Lyme disease.
- Geographically Lyme disease distribution is expanding, with patient cases increasingly reported in areas which assume low risk.
- If we compare states like the Northeast and Upper Mideast, South Carolina reports lesser cases of Lyme disease.
- For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the year 2022, cases of Lyme disease were reported around 62,551 nationwide. Whereas South Carolina shows smaller affected areas to this total.
Lyme Disease risk factors in South Carolina
Below are two major factors in South Carolina:-
- Environmental
- Behavioural
Environmental factors
| Tick Habitats | Climate |
|
|
Behavioral factors
| Activities in Outdoor | Tick Removal |
|
|
Prevention and protection in South Carolina
To minimize the risk of tick bite and Lyme disease, personally you should:-
- Use insect repellant EPA- registered
- Need to wear protective light colored clothes as long sleeved and long pants to avoid exposure of skin.
- Permethrin clothing as boots, pants and tents to repel ticks.
- Perform tick checking after every outdoor activity.
- Take a shower immediately after coming back indoors to remove the unattached tick from the skin.
To reduce tick habitats through modification of the environment:-
- Shorten grass and maintain the garden to reduce tick habitats.
- Try to create tick free zones
- Create a barrier with the help of wood chips between lawns and wooded areas to prevent ticks.
- Minimize deer populations that can lower the number of ticks because deer are primary hosts for adult ticks.
