When Are You Most Likely to Get Lyme Disease in Westchester?

Who likes to think about Lyme disease in the winter? In reality, most of us probably never want to think about it. However, we would be remiss not to consider the potential for Lyme infection as Westchester and Rockland County residents. If you live in Westchester, you are vulnerable to contracting Lyme disease between the months of April and October. However, nymph ticks, the most prolific vectors for Lyme infection, are most active from May through September. Some New York counties report that nearly 80% of confirmed cases resulted from the bite of an infected nymph tick. Nymphs are rampant Lyme disease spreaders because they are extremely small and difficult to detect. By the time they are discovered, it is usually too late. It only takes a day or two for a tick to transmit the disease, so it is vitally important to take defensive measures that keep ticks at bay.

How prevalent is Lyme disease in Westchester?

To get a good idea of how much risk you face from exposure to a disease, you would typically look to the number of diagnoses in your area, right? Although this method works well for many other ailments, Lyme disease in Westchester, as well as the broader U.S., is notoriously under-diagnosed. It can take anywhere from 3 to 30 days for you to begin showing symptoms, and this can be incredibly confusing for doctors that are attempting a diagnosis – the time frame is just too big! For example, there have only been 4,697 cases of confirmed instances of Lyme disease in Westchester County from 2000 to 2018, but the actual number is estimated to be dramatically higher. According to one estimate, there have been 46,970 actual cases, with only a fraction of these going reported. This means only 1 out of every 10 cases is actually caught by doctors! And, considering these are estimates, the number of unreported cases could be even higher.

Lyme disease is curable but is better prevented than cured.

Although Lyme disease is technically curable, there are massive risks from contracting it in the first place. Left untreated, Lyme disease can spread to vital organs, the joints, and even your nervous system.

One of the scariest characteristics of Lyme disease is even after being “cured” you may experience symptoms that persist for longer than 6 months! This condition is called Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, and like all chronic conditions, it can throw a wrench into your way of life. Such horrible conditions make it clear why you need to take tick control measures before you receive a bite. Indeed, year-round protection is the best way to make sure you minimize your exposure to these dastardly insects. Fortunately, you have some great options for tick defense. From our classic border protection mist, which can dramatically reduce tick populations on your property, to our naturaltick protection mist that uses essential oils to control ticks, Mosquito Squad has you covered. We are the answer to your google query: Lyme disease Westchester, and we are excited to help you tackle the ticks on your property!

Don’t take a chance on contracting Lyme disease in Westchester and Rockland County, trust Mosquito Squad, guaranteed protection since 2005. Give us a call at (914) 353-4921.