Officials expect uptick in local tick population

ELKTON - Maryland Department of Natural Resources officials warn that this will be a booming year for the tick population thanks to the relatively wet spring, and Dr. Henry Taylor with the Cecil County Health Department said because of that people need to be aware.

"Every year we have lots of ticks," Taylor said. "But we have had an increase in potential breeding grounds this year."

Recent deluges probably didn't help.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports seven new germs have been identified in a tick bite that can cause harm to humans. Lyme disease, which comes from a deer tick bite, has risen exponentially according to the CDC, with the number of cases more than doubling between 2004 and 2016.

Eric Dowd was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2015, although he's been suffering from symptoms since 2003. The Elkton resident does not know how he will feel when he wakes up each morning, assuming he has gotten any sleep at all the night before.

Dowd said people need to know their own bodies and check themselves carefully after being outside.

Applications of insect repellant that contain DEET work bests, along with hats and light clothing to enable you to see a tick more clearly. There is also a line of DEET-infused clothing. Taylor said the protection lasts up to 30 washes.

According to the CDC, it takes a few days for the infection to set in from a bite, with the tick being attached from 36 to 48 hours. That's why thorough searching is the key.

In 2016, more than 1,900 people were diagnosed with Lyme disease in Maryland alone. Most take a course of antibiotics and are fine. Then there are those like Dowd, who will suffer with it for the rest of their lives.

While he said he has a high tolerance for pain, a March 2015 back injury exacerbated the illness.