Is Lyme disease spreading faster in Ky. than other states? UK tick expert disputes that

You may have seen headlines circulating recently with claims the Bluegrass State leads the nation with the fastest-growing Lyme disease outbreak.

But according to the state’s top insect scientist, Dr. Reddy Palli of the University of Kentucky, these claims contradict the fact that the Blacklegged (deer) tick – the most common vector for Lyme disease – isn’t actually the most common tick found in Kentucky.

“Not every tick bite is a Lyme disease prospect,” Palli told the Herald-Leader in an interview Wednesday.

The claim

Various news sites have picked up a report from the Bristish tabloid, The Daily Mail, which claimed “Kentucky has the fastest-growing Lyme disease outbreak in the U.S.,” citing insurance data from FAIR Health, a health care analytics firm.

One article said insurance claims for Lyme disease in the state had doubled in just five years, rising from five to 10 claims per 100,000 people between 2016 and 2021.

Found a tick? Mail it to this UK professor to see if it carries disease

Fact check

As Kentucky’s state entomologist, Palli estimates out of all the tick specimens UK Entomology collects through its disease surveillance efforts, about 90% don’t transmit Lyme disease.

That’s because most of the ticks found in Kentucky are dog ticks or Lone Star ticks, the latter of which can carry the mysterious STARI virus or cause alpha-gal syndrome, also known as the red meat allergy.

Palli pushed back on recent media reports’ reliance on insurance claims data, which he said don’t often capture the full picture. When a patient comes in with concerns that they’ve contracted Lyme disease, medical professionals will often enter the insurance claim as one for Lyme disease, even if the patient doesn’t ultimately have it, he continued.

This is because serologic testing for Lyme disease is expensive for the patient and often results in false positives. So, while insurance filings related to the disease may be up, actual cases may not be.

According to the ChoosingWisely initiative of the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation, a blood test for Lyme disease could set you back more than $200 – not including the cost of your doctor’s appointment.

And if you receive a false positive – which one study found happened 80% of the time – you may throw away even more money on unneeded treatments or medications that come with unwanted side effects.

Claim: Kentucky has the fastest-growing Lyme disease outbreak in the U.S.

Rating: Misleading

Look out for the lone star tick and the mysterious virus it spreads, scientist says

How can you tell if you have Lyme disease?

Again from ChooseWisley, the easiest way is to look for a painless, spreading rash that often grows to look like a bull’s eye. If you’ve got the rash and you recently had a tick bite or were in an area known for Lyme disease, you don’t need a test. Your doctor can proceed to treat you with antibiotics, as appropriate.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the characteristic erythema migrans Lyme disease rash:

• Occurs in about 70% to 80% of infected people

• Begins at the site of a tick bite after a delay of three to 30 days (the average is about seven days)

• Expands gradually over several days reaching up to 12 inches or more (30 cm) across

• May feel warm to the touch but is rarely itchy or painful

• Sometimes clears as it enlarges, resulting in a target or “bull’s-eye” appearance

• May appear on any area of the body

• But does not always appear as a “classic” erythema migrans rash

Other Lyme disease symptoms include fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes may occur in the absence of rash, according to the CDC.

All of this is not to say you can’t contract Lyme disease from a tick bite in Kentucky. There is a chance, but it’s a small chance, Palli stressed.

According to the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, the state has a very low incidence of Lyme disease. In 2017, for example, only six cases were confirmed.

Do you have a question about the environment in Kentucky for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.