How Prevalent is Lyme Disease in Tennessee?

There are plenty of ticks in Tennessee, but is Lyme disease a common occurrence?

If you have gone hiking or live on a wooded lot, you probably know that there’s no shortage of ticks in Middle Tennessee. It is believed that only about 10% of black-legged ticks in our area are carriers of Lyme bacteria. The good news is that Lyme disease is not prevalent in Tennessee, as far as we know. Tennessee had 39 confirmed cases in 2023, up 18% from 2022. The CDC estimates that actual annual cases of Lyme disease could be as much as 7.5 times more than those reported. This suggests that Tennessee could have had up to 292 cases of Lyme disease in 2023, including the potential number of cases that were not confirmed.

How is Lyme Disease Transmitted?

While Lyme disease isn’t transmitted immediately, it is very important to remove ticks from your body as quickly as possible. Within 24 to 48 hours, an attached tick carrying the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, which causes Lyme disease, can transmit this bacteria to us and ultimately cause us to get sick. With Lyme disease rates skyrocketing throughout much of the nation, it’s vital that you start taking precautions. Indeed, the CDC estimates that nearly 500,000 people are newly infected with this disease each year in the United States, making professional tick control an essential consideration for your home! While our tick control treatments are exceptionally effective, some ticks may find a chink in your perimeter and make their way onto your property. So, make sure you stay vigilant about ticks and continue to conduct tick checks after spending lots of time outside. Between tick-checks and professional tick control, your odds of facing consequences from a tick encounter are dramatically reduced!

Do Black-Legged Ticks Carry Diseases Other Than Lyme Disease?

While black-legged ticks are most notorious for spreading Lyme disease, they are also vectors for several other serious illnesses. Black-legged ticks can transmit other diseases, such as Anaplasmosis and Babesiosis. They also carry a rare, potentially fatal disease, called Powassan virus. This is a rare but potentially fatal disease that can cause severe neurological damage. Although cases of Powassan are far less common than illnesses like Lyme disease, the increasing spread of tick populations makes understanding and prevention of all tick-borne diseases more critical than ever.

Nashville Tick Control, a Preemptive Approach

The best tick is the one you never encounter. In order to make sure you cross paths with as few of these parasites as possible, relying on professional tick control measures, as well as conducting day-to-day tick habitat remediation is vital. While our expert treatments are guaranteed to reduce the tick population on your property, you can also help. By removing common tick habitat like long grasses, untrimmed landscaping elements, and even things like mulch piles and leaf litter, you greatly reduce the likelihood of ticks sticking around in comfort. Our combined efforts are the best way to keep most ticks at bay, and taking the fight to them early is a proven method of improving your outdoor lifestyle.

Search for tick control near me and choose Mosquito Squad of Nashville.

Call (615) 492-3662 to learn more about Mosquito Squad, your trusted source for Nashville tick control and other outdoor pest control services too!

Also read: Are there white ticks?