When I went to the Google machine on the topic of “Lyme Disease in Suffolk County” I was quite surprised at the response from Artificial Intelligence that stated the following for my search:
“Suffolk County is known to be a hotspot for Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.”
The issue of Lyme disease-carrying ticks is a hot topic in our household when my incredible and hyper-vigilant wife spotted one on the skin of one of our kids. Ashley grabbed tweezers, pulled it off immediately, and insisted we send it to a lab for testing. Before that, I didn’t think much of my wife inspecting the kids a few times a day for ticks. Thought nothing of it.
I’m not extremely grateful for her being a hyper-vigilant mom. Our kids are healthier and better off for it.
Our family practice physician prescribed a hardcore antibiotic as a precautionary measure. Sure enough, when the lab results came back, the tick we pulled was positive for Lyme Disease.
Thankfully, the risk to our child is extremely low, only because my wife checks regularly in the warmer weather months.
Kudos to Suffolk County and health officials for providing an array of information about ticks, Lyme Disease, and what you can do to protect yourself and your kids as best as possible. It even has a “Tick Pathogen Surveillance Program” launched in 2016 that works collaboratively with the New York State Department of Health on tick prevention and education.
Ticks are collected in locations across Suffolk County in the spring, summer, and fall months. Testing data is shared in an open, honest, and transparent manner. There’s also important information on how you can be vigilant in the battle against ticks carrying Lyme Disease.
Head to SuffolkCountyny.gov and find the Department of Health tab, where all of their information is available. Once you find it, that page also links to the NYS Department of Health website where reams of the most recent data (2024) is right at your fingertips.
You can also visit HealthData.ny.gov and then click the “All Data” tab for tick and Lyme Disease information pertaining to Suffolk County. It is much easier finding it if you go to the search bar in the upper right hand corner of that website and type in “tick.” From there you can click on various data portals with lots of information about Lyme Disease in Suffolk County.
According to the data, about half of the ticks tested positive for the pathogen that causes Lyme Disease in ten of Suffolk County’s townships. In 2024 Suffolk County and New York State collected and tested approximately 2,110 ticks.
Folks, the best protection to keep your kids safe is…..you. The consequences of our children being infected with Lyme Disease are deeply debilitating. According to Boston Children's Hospital if “left untreated, the bacteria that cause Lyme can attack many systems of your child's body, including the skin, heart, nerves, and joints.”
Check your kids regularly, especially now in the warmer months. I thank God my wife Ashley did, and will continue to do so. The health and welfare of our kids and yours depends on it.