DEAR DR. GOTT: I am hearing very frightening stories these days about the tick epidemic anticipated in the Northeast. It seems that everyone I speak with has either Lyme disease or something called ehrlichiosis. What on earth is going on and why does there appear to be an almost epidemic?

DEAR READER: I happen to live in the Northeast and can attest to the fact that there is a prolific amount of tick-borne illness in my area. It’s easy to speculate that the mild winter we experienced might have contributed to the problem, yet some experts indicate this doesn’t cause a rise in tick populations but does, however, change tick behavior. Adult deer ticks which are minute in size generally remain dormant during the winter but can seek carrier hosts whenever temperatures rise to several degrees above freezing. [Read more...]

DEAR DR. GOTT: My daughter recently had a rash on her right rib area following a tick bite that may have been unrelated. We live in the Northeast section of the country where deer ticks are prevalent. The rash didn’t look like one from Lyme disease and we thought it was hives but her doctor did blood work and she was found to have ehrlichiosis. What on earth is this?

DEAR READER: Ehrlichiosis is a bacterial infection transmitted by the bite of a tick. The disease is carried primarily – but not exclusively – by the the Lone Star tick, but can also be transmitted by deer ticks (which are also known to transmit Lyme disease) and dog ticks. Symptoms vary from person to person but will resemble those of the flu. Although the CDC does report sporadic influenza infections all year, in non-endemic months the chances of infection are exceedingly [Read more...]