Michael Tanneberger D.V.M. Colchester, VT
2.5%
Percentage of Visits Due to Tick Encounters
So... Are You Ticked Off Yet?
Surveillance of Vermont Emergency Room & Urgent Care Visits for Human Tick Encounters (Beta Version) Tick Encounter = any visit due to tick-related issues such as a recent tick bite or a request for tick removal.
2.0%
1.5%
1.0%
0.5%
Week Ending July 29, 2017
I
0.0% t seems that ticks are in the January February March April May June July August September October November December news more than Hollywood stars these Month days. I’m hearing about them in news2017 Historic Average (2004-2016) Historic Maximum (2004-2016) papers, medical journals, magazines (like this one), on TV and Online. Why? ..because the popularity of the topic indicates how serious the issues with tick borne diseases have become. Environmental changes such as global warming and shifting populations of wildlife have contributed to conditions that are allowing ticks to move to new territories and thrive. Since the 1980’s this has happened to a dramatic degree. Studies are showing that change is occurring all over the country and is causing the spread of tick diseases to new regions. The Lone Star Tick (think Texas) is now being found in southern New England. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, originally carried by early American settlers from Tennessee to the mountains out west, is now spreading throughout the mid-west plains. Here in the Northeast, Lyme disease has been on the rise for years and most people now familiar with it. Fortunately, this has created a greater awareness of tick bite prevention for both pets and their owners. But, it’s
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Fall 2017
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