Lyme Threat Calls For

Aggressive Action

To the Editor:

Ticks and Lyme disease should be Newtown’s biggest health worry. Lyme disease is this state’s most prevalent infectious disease. It interested me that when the town found one bird with West Nile, they immediately took action using a larvicide.

Yet, when 50 percent of the town’s ticks are testing positive for Lyme, the town does virtually nothing but put up a few bait boxes and spray the schools and parks. When is Newtown going to start being aggressively proactive in regard to Lyme? Dr Kirby Stafford of the CAES stated that this year the ticks would be more heavily infected than last year. Is the town going to wait until all households report someone in them has Lyme because the 39 percent of households doesn’t seem to matter?

I do applaud Ms McCarthy for explaining that most Lyme patients never remember being bitten nor do they develop a rash. I hope Ms McCarthy and the health department (Dr Draper included) begin  being more aggressive in combating their biggest health concern.

Brendan Dlouhy

25 Cobblers Mill Road, Sandy Hook                               July 20, 2004