Task Force To Answer Questions About Lyme Disease

The Newtown Lyme Disease Task Force will have an information table set up outside Super Stop & Shop on Saturday, May 13, to promote Lyme Disease Awareness Month.

Residents are invited to stop by for information and answers to questions they might have about Lyme Disease prevention and awareness.

The task force is a group of volunteers from Newtown and neighboring communities who have the mission of providing education and information for the prevention, identification, treatment, and understanding of Lyme Disease and other tick-borne illnesses.

Connecticut has the highest incidence of Lyme Disease in the United States. State residents also are at risk of contracting tick-borne illnesses such as babesiosis and ehrlichiosis.

Lyme Disease is a serious illness that can lead to debilitating neurological, psychiatric, cardiac, and arthritic conditions if left untreated or if diagnosis is delayed. Early and late symptoms of Lyme Disease mimic other illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, lupus, Alzheimer’s, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and others. Lyme Disease is often misdiagnosed and untreated due to the lack of reliable diagnostic tests. This is especially true in children who may not be able to articulate their symptoms. According to the Connecticut State Health Department, children ages 2 to 15 are at greatest risk of acquiring Lyme Disease.