EASTON, Pa. – Summer may be winding down, but doctors in the Lehigh Valley say Lyme disease is still a real threat.
Dr. Saman Kannangara, a doctor of infectious diseases at Easton Hospital, said he’s seen a 30 percent increase in Lyme Disease infections.
Kannangara said due to the proximity of densely wooded areas and big deer populations, people who live near neighborhoods like Easton’s College Hill or nearby townships like Forks and Williams are at a higher risk of developing it.
“I’d say in my office I see several people each week, maybe every day with Lyme disease, a new infection,” said Kannangara.
Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness caused by bacteria that usually results in flu-like systems and an oval rash around the tick bite area.
Kannangara says because recent winters haven’t been as cold, the ticks aren’t going dormant and it is helping the disease spread.