| ■ Evaluate Your Child's Lyme Disease Risk | 06.06.15 |
| Now that warmer weather is here, is the threat of Lyme disease making you think that your child would be safer in the comfort of your climate-controlled family living room rather than the great outdoors? Before you head to the video store for a 3-month's supply of movie and game rentals, take some time to consider your child's Lyme disease risk. Location It's true that Lyme disease is the leading tick-borne disease in the United States, with about 12,500 cases being reported annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) between 1993 and 1997. Nearly all of these cases occur in the northeastern, upper midwestern, and Pacific northwest areas of the United States. The following states are the hardest hit: New York Connecticut Pennsylvania New Jersey Massachusetts Rhode Island Maryland Minnesota California Wisconsin Delaware New Hampshire Some cases have also been reported in Asia, northern and southern Europe, and parts of Canada. Outdoor Activities and Pets Besides living in one of these areas, other factors that might increase your child's tick risk include: spending a lot of time outdoors in tall grass, brush, shrubs, or wooded areas having pets that may carry ticks indoors participating in activities such as landscaping, hiking, camping, fishing, or hunting in tick-infested areas Yahoo! Health: Children's Health News |