Only imported Lyme in Arizona
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Justin Timberlake's recent diagnosis put a spotlight on Lyme disease, but if you've got it in Arizona, you almost certainly brought it from somewhere else.
Why it matters: Especially during the most active tick season (April through October), it's important to be mindful of the tick-borne illness that — if left untreated — can lead to long-term neurological problems and body aches.
State of play: In 2023, Arizona had 16 documented Lyme disease infections in Cochise, Coconino, Gila, La Paz, Mohave, Pima, Pinal and Yavapai counties.
Yes, but: To date, there haven't been any confirmed cases contracted from tick bites within the state, Arizona Department of Health Services spokesperson Magda Rodriguez told Axios.
- Residents sometimes get infected while traveling where the disease is endemic.
- The tick species that transmits Lyne disease lives in higher-humidity areas and isn't found in most of Arizona, Rodriguez said.
- The "western tick vector" has only been found in Arizona in Mohave County's Hualapai Mountains, she added, and there's no evidence that those ticks carried any pathogens.
What's happening: Lyme disease is caused by the bite of a tick that carries a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi.
- In the U.S., mainly deer ticks (aka the blacklegged tick) spread this bacteria — they're most common in the Northeast, Upper Midwest and mid-Atlantic. Along the Pacific Coast, the western blacklegged tick can spread infection, according to the CDC.
Zoom in: Lyme disease can present with a rash or flu-like symptoms.
- People with late-stage infections may experience more severe issues, from facial paralysis to arthritis.
- Most Lyme cases caught early can be treated with antibiotics. But diagnosing the disease early can be difficult because not all infected people get rashes, and early testing can produce false negatives.
Stay safe: 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.
- When outdoors, "we recommend wearing white so the ticks are more visible, tick-checking yourself and your gear when you arrive home, and being vigilant to see a doctor if you have any symptoms," Bay Area Lyme Foundation executive director Linda Giampa told Axios via email.