By Greg Jordan, Bluefield Daily Telegraph
BLUEFIELD, W.VA. — Warm weather benefiting ticks and greater numbers of deer and other wildlife carrying them could be increasing the chances of the tick-borne Lyme Disease appearing on local dogs.
A veterinarian with Veterinary Associates off Cumberland Road in Bluefield said her facility has been seeing more Lyme Disease cases.
“Every year there’s been an increase,” Dr. Virginia McGuire said. “Even the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) has been documenting it.”
There could be different reasons why more cases of Lyme Disease are appearing, she said. Warmer weather during ticks breeding season is causing them to proliferate. Greater numbers of deer, raccoons and other wildlife harboring ticks is another possible reason for the increasing number of cases.
“Lyme Disease in dogs is the same as it is in humans,” McGuire said. “Lyme Disease is a bacteria spread by ticks. It’s called borrelia burgdorferi. When they bite and have a blood meal, they can transmit that borrelia and cause an infection.” …
To read more: https://www.bdtonline.com/news/summer-weather-raising-rates-of-lyme-disease/article_e41dfd7e-e2b6-11eb-a1f3-bf3903e5cd35.html