Dangerous Tick-borne Diseases are Becoming Increasingly Common in Dutchess County

Headaches are nothing new for Pine Plains resident Keith Sisco. So when the pain began on a Friday in late June, he chalked it off to allergies and sinus problems. But within 48 hours, Sisco’s headache became intolerable; he developed teeth-chattering shivers and profuse sweating. “I was delirious,” he said. “It’s the sickest I’ve ever been in my entire life.”

After losing consciousness at the Nuvance-Go Health Urgent Care Center in Rhinebeck, Sisco was rushed by ambulance to Northern Dutchess Hospital, where he remained for three days. The diagnosis? Multiple tick-borne illnesses — anaplasmosis, babesiosis and Lyme.

Jeanne Valentine-Chase, also of Pine Plains, was hospitalized with babesiosis the same week as Sisco. “I was extremely winded, feverish, and my thighs were so weak I had trouble walking,” she said. Both residents are avid gardeners and agreed that tick bites are a common consequence of enjoying their time outdoors. But neither could specifically recall a bite that fit the timing of their illnesses.

Americans are increasingly sickened by 15 serious diseases transmitted by deer (blacklegged) and lone star ticks, with total cases surging by 40% over the past five years. Scientists blame climate change. Hotter springs and milder winters have allowed the arthropods to emerge earlier, expand their range and feed longer. In addition, housing developments have destroyed predator habitats, resulting in higher populations of rodents and deer, asymptomatic carriers of microbes spread to humans in tick saliva.

Tick-borne illnesses that used to be unheard of have become common. Cases of the bacterial disease anaplasmosis have skyrocketed 19-fold in the past two decades, with 5,600 case reports in 2022 in the United States. The incidence of babesiosis, a parasitic illness similar to malaria, has jumped 58% since 2011, infecting 2,600 Americans each year. Lyme disease, seldom fatal, is far more common, afflicting 63,000 in the U.S. annually. Anaplasmosis kills one in 50; babesiosis, one in 20 (if hospitalized). The death rate for both can reach 20% in immunosuppressed victims, such as those taking chemotherapy.

New York state ranks first in the nation for tick-borne diseases, claiming one fifth of all cases, with the majority in Suffolk County, on Long Island. Dutchess County is a close second.

Anaplasmosis and babesiosis have similar severe flu-like symptoms, including headache, muscle pain, fever and chills, that appear one to two weeks after a tick bite. In a minority, there are no signs of infection at all. The diseases usually don’t produce a rash, unlike the trademark ‘bullseye’ rash that comes with Lyme.

An important difference between the two is that babesiosis symptoms can get far worse, and sometimes appear as late as nine weeks after being bitten. The causal parasites reproduce and grow in red blood cells — until the corpuscles burst. The resulting hemolytic anemia causes acute shortness of breath, unstable blood pressure and jaundice (yellow skin and eyeballs).

Both diseases, if not treated early, can result in respiratory and organ failure, and even death. If you find an engorged deer tick on your body —or one you think it has fed for 24 hours or more, there are steps you can take.

First, consult your medical provider immediately. Maintain a high level of suspicion for tick-borne disease if you have an unusual headache, fever or chills. Flu season is in the fall and winter, not the summer. Anaplasmosis and babesiosis are diagnosed by a physical exam, history and bloodwork; treatment centers on a three week course of antibiotics; the addition of an anti-malarial drug is necessary to eradicate babesiosis. Prophylactic treatment that successfully wards off Lyme — a single dose of doxycycline taken within 72 hours of the bite — is ineffective.

Avoiding tick bites is the best way to stay healthy. Wear long-sleeve shirts and tuck your pants into your socks. Your clothing should be a light color, so you can spot ticks more easily. Keep long hair tied back, especially when gardening. Hike on well-traveled trails; consider using permethrin or DEET insect repellent, like Tender Ben’s or Off! Shake out your clothing and examine your pets before going indoors. Check your entire body, with special attention to underarms, scalp and groin; shower preferably within two hours after outdoor activities. If you find a tick, remove it with tweezers: Pull straight up and off.

Sisco and Valentine-Chase are slowly getting better. They are finishing up their medications, and follow-up visits are scheduled with their primary care physicians and specialists (infectious disease and hematology). Both patients plan on resuming their outdoor activities.

Valentine-Chase has decided to be much more careful in the garden. “I’ll start tucking my pants into my socks, even if it’s hot out,” she said.

Sisco said he’s learned his lesson. “I should have gone to the doctor earlier. It was an unusual headache, and I ignored it,” he said. “Never again.”