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CONCORD, New Hampshire (WBZ NewsRadio) — Governor Chris Sununu has proclaimed May as Lyme Disease Awareness Month in the Granite State. The New Hampshire governor is encouraging residents and visitors to practice preventative measures to protect themselves against the tick-borne illness.
Approximately 1,170 people in New Hampshire are diagnosed with Lyme disease each year and around 476,000 people are diagnosed in the United States annually, making it the most common tick-borne illness.
“We all know someone who has been affected by Lyme disease,” Governor Sununu said in a statement. “As the weather warms and we spend more time outdoors, it is important we all take time to educate ourselves on Lyme disease, and take simple steps to prevent tick bites.”
Tick Free NH, an organization that works to raise awareness and educate the public on how to prevent tick bites, said in recent years New Hampshire has had some of the highest incidents of Lyme disease in the country. Tick-borne illnesses are on the rise across New England.
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New Hampshire has the third-highest increase in reported cases, behind Maine and Vermont. In New Hampshire, the black-legged tick, also known as the deer tick, carries five different tick-borne illnesses: Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Powassan virus, and Borrelia miyamotoi.
Governor Sununu is encouraging residents to take the following steps to help protect themselves against ticks:
- Treat shoes and clothing with Permethrin - a chemical that repels and kills ticks, it is safe when dry and good for many washes.
- Apply tick repellent when you go into wooded, grassy, or brushy areas.
- Shower within 20 minutes after being outside to wash off unattached ticks.
- Conduct daily tick checks for yourself, children, and pets.
- Wear light-colored protective clothing and keep skin unexposed by tucking shirts into pants and pants into socks.
- Put clothes in the dryer on high for 10 minutes (or one hour for damp clothes) to kill ticks after being outdoors.
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