CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — The Kanawha Charleston Health Department is now taking steps to further protect the public from Lyme Disease.
Kanawha-Charleston Health Department Nurse Clinic Director Angela Adams said the department is offering an antibiotic to those who have been bit by black-legged ticks.
“The main thing is that we’re trying to prevent further cases, and that this is a prophylactic treatment for Lyme disease,” Adams said. “It’s not a treatment for the disease, but it’s to prevent the disease. As long as all the questions are answered, ‘Yes,’ then we can give the prophylactic treatment of Doxycycline.”
Lyme disease is once again on the rise in the Mountain State. According to the West Virginia Department of Health, the reported number of cases has nearly quadrupled since 2020.
“The rise in West Virginia has been four-fold from about 1,065 cases to about 4,000,” Adams said. “That’s a very large increase that we’ve seen in this area. We’re trying to prevent it for other cases.”
Adams said before they can give the antibiotic, there are some very important questions that need to be answered to ensure the medication is effective.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the longer the tick is attached, the higher the probability of Lyme disease is.
“First we want to know if the tick bite happened in the last 72 hours, if they pulled the tick off in the last 72 hours,” Adams said. “If the tick was engorged with blood, if it was from West Virginia or an area that was prevalent with Lyme disease.”
For $25, the costs of the medication and consultation will be covered.
