Lyme Disease Data Now On PolicyMap

I like to go hiking. Whenever I get the chance, I go for a walk through the Wissahickon woods in northwestern Philadelphia. Deep in the forest, you forget you’re in a city. It’s wonderful. Except, if you’re not careful, it’s kind of dangerous.

Ticks carrying Lyme disease are all over some parts of the country, and we’ve just loaded data from the CDC showing where Lyme disease is most prevalent.

Rarely do we find a map showing such a clear geographic trend. In the Mid-Atlantic, New England, and upper Midwest, Lyme disease is a big issue. Four of the top five counties of reported cases are in the Philadelphia area: Chester, Bucks, and Montgomery in Pennsylvania, and New Castle in Delaware.

Lyme disease can affect joints, heart, and the central nervous system; people living in areas infested by deer ticks need to check their skin thoroughly after being in the woods. Of course, there are other tick-borne illnesses in other parts of the country, like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, which is even more dangerous, but less prevalent, than Lyme.

In order to spot the Lyme disease data, you have to inspect all of the Health menu very carefully, because the indicator is quite small and easy to miss. It’s in Physical Health > Infectious Disease > Other > Lyme Disease.

Image credit: thetick.ws