Rep. Dan Swanson – May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month

Now that spring is finally here, many people are spending much more time outdoors enjoying the nice weather. But with that extra time outdoors comes the danger of encountering ticks who live in the tall grass and wooded areas in many of our communities. These ticks can carry serious illnesses, including Lyme disease.

According to State Representative Dan Swanson (R-Alpha) every year in May the Illinois House of Representatives marks Lyme Disease Awareness Month to help Illinoisans learn how to avoid ticks, prevent Lyme disease and recognize and treat the symptoms should you or a loved one contract it.

Swanson says about 40% of black-legged ticks tested are found to be positive for Lyme disease and every year in Illinois cases of residents being treated continues to climb.

Nationwide, every year there around 476,000 new cases of the disease reported.

The representative said if a person is infected with Lyme, the first symptoms can often present as very general and can be easily mistaken for other illnesses. Fatigue, fever, chills, headache and minor joint pain are some of the common initial symptoms.

Representative Swanson encourages residents to visit illymeassociation.org and click on the IDPH Tick Map to learn more about tick populations and types in Illinois.