Grab your bug spray, tick season has arrived

CHITTENANGO, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) – Lyme disease can sometimes be cured in a matter of weeks, and other times, it lasts a lifetime.

Royale Scuderi was diagnosed 13 years ago.

“I didn’t quite get all the way better. The acute disease was resolved, but I still have the lingering symptoms of arthritis, cognitive memory issues, brain fog, lack of endurance, sleep issues those sorts of things,” Scuderi, who is also the Executive Director of CNY Lyme and Tick Disease Alliance, explained.

Some in the Lyme community have a nickname for the disease; the great mimicker.

Something that can be easily overlooked.

The number of ticks continues to grow year after year, and the Central New York area is especially prone to them, with a breeding ground right at Green Lakes.

“It does seem like the tick-borne diseases in general have been increasing over the course of the past seven and a half years. Lyme disease is what I first noticed, but we’ve definitely been seeing more cases of anaplasmosis and babesiosis over the past several years as well,” Dr. Kristopher Paolino explained.

It’s time to get in the habit of taking the right precautions like wearing repellent and completing nightly tick checks.

“If you’re an avid hiker, gardener, hunter and you’re outside exposed a lot, using pre-treated clothing or treat your clothing with a chemical called permethrin, it embeds in the fibers of the fabric and repel as the ticks are crawling up on you,” Dr. Paolino advised.

It’s a few small routines that could make such a big difference.