Worried about Lyme disease in Colorado? Don't be
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For Coloradans wary of walking in tall grass after Justin Timberlake put a spotlight on Lyme disease last week, a bit of good news: The tick that carries the disease is not found in the state.
The big picture: More than 89,000 cases of Lyme disease were reported to the CDC in 2023, but the agency estimates that roughly 476,000 people are actually diagnosed and treated annually.
Threat level: While Colorado does have ticks, Boulder County spokesperson Giselle Noll said the state is not home to the specific types, mainly blacklegged ticks, that carry the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium, which can cause Lyme disease.
- Data shows Boulder County did treat seven cases of Lyme disease in 2023, but Noll said those were instances of people traveling and then returning with the ailment.
Stay safe: Colorado does have other types of ticks and other tick-borne diseases, including Colorado tick fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, relapsing fever, and tularemia.
- If you find a tick attached to your body, remove it with tweezers — don't squish it. And if you don't need to preserve it, flush it.