Summertime is tick time and Lyme disease is on the rise

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States says cases of the tick borne illness Lyme disease are on the rise across the country.

Officials say they are concerned that cases of Lyme disease have in fact doubled since 1991 and they believe many cases go unreported.

The CDC says more than 21 thousand cases of the disease are reported in the U.S. each year, and it is the most common mosquito born virus in the country, more so than even West Nile virus.

From 2003 to 2005, the CDC received 64,382 reports of people with Lyme disease in 46 states and Washington, D.C.

There were fewer than 10,000 reported cases of Lyme disease in 1991, when the CDC began tracking Lyme disease nationally.

In a weekly report the CDC says in 2005, the most common place for Lyme disease was anywhere in the north-eastern, mid-Atlantic, and north-central states.

The CDC believes the increase can be attributed to several factors, including a true increase in disease incidence and better detection and laboratory-based surveillance.

Lyme disease can be quite debilitating and symptoms include a circular skin rash, joint pain, fever, headache and fatigue.

Treatment usually involves antibiotics and if not treated, Lyme disease can result in long lasting effects including: arthritis, heart disease and nervous system damage.

The CDC advises people to lower their risk for the disease and other tick-borne illnesses by avoiding tick-infested areas when possible, using insect repellents containing DEET, and performing daily self-examination for ticks.

Extra precautions should be taken in May, June, and July, when ticks that transmit Lyme disease are most active.

The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend using repellents containing DEET on infants less than 2 months old.