Recent data shows a dramatic rise of confirmed cases of Lyme disease across the United States, including Florida.
University of North Florida Researcher Kerry Clark said Tuesday on First Coast Connect with Melissa Rossthat data from Quest Labs shows that the two states with the largest absolute increases of infected patients were California and Florida, both of which have not historically been associated with high rates of Lyme disease.
In 2017, Florida had 501 known cases of Lyme disease, a 77% increase over 2015 levels.
Dr. Shirley Hartman from the Mandarin Wellness Center, who was also a guest on First Coast Connect, said other areas are also seeing a sharp rise. Cases increased by 50 percent in the New England region and 78 percent in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania had more Lyme disease than any other state in the U.S. last year.
The full interviews with Clark and Hartman can be heard on Tuesday's First Coast Connect.
Avery Latta-Raines can be reached at newsteam@wjct.org, 904-358-6317.
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