Another Nasty Disease is Spreading in 6 States Including MA

You may remember last year we published an article that focused on a virus caused by ticks that spread throughout Massachusetts and a few other states known as the Powassan virus. That virus, as a matter of fact, killed a 90-year-old Connecticut woman. If you missed that article you can check it out by going here. Now we have a whole other headache to deal with as a disease known as Babesiosis or Babesia (see video below) is spreading in six states including Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont. The disease is spread through deer ticks (a.k.a black-legged ticks) and is pretty tough to deal with.

According to our sister station WHOM, some people that get infected with Babesiosis suffer from flu-like symptoms including fever, chills, sweats, headache, body aches, loss of appetite, nausea, or fatigue. It should be noted that if you experience any of these symptoms with a weak immune system, other health issues, or no spleen, you should seek medical care immediately.

Check out the video below from the Mayo Clinic as it contains everything you need to know regarding Babesiosis.

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As you heard and saw in the video if you are going to be outside you want to practice the ABCs of tick bite prevention which are

(A) Avoiding areas that are prone to tick activity.
(B) Applying bug spray, especially for extended periods of time
(C) Covering up exposed skin with long pants, long-sleeved shirts, etc.

Get out there and have fun this summer but make sure you are prepared, safe, and smart when it comes to thinking about ticks and coming across tick activity.

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