TROY — The Rensselaer County Health Department is urging residents to take precautions amid a surge in tick-borne diseases being reported in the county.

The department said Monday that it has seen a significant increase in cases of anaplasmosis, a bacterial infection that's similar to Lyme disease and is transmitted by ticks. There have been 105 cases reported in the county so far this year, compared to just 34 at the same point in 2018.

The state Health Department has issued similar warnings about anaplasmosis in recent years, noting that the Capital Region sees more cases than other regions of the state.

The first symptoms of anaplasmosis typically begin within one to two weeks of a bite, and mimic the flu. They include fever, headache, muscle pain, weakness, chills, nausea, cough and confusion. Unlike Lyme, however, they rarely feature a rash.

Health officials note that the disease is particularly severe in people with weak immune systems.

Treatment is similar to that for Lyme disease, and involves a course of antibiotics.

Lyme is also on the rise in Rensselaer County this season with 53 cases reported so far, up from 35 this time last year, the health department confirmed. Cases of babesiosis — a rare, sometimes severe tick-borne disease — have remained steady at nine.

"At the start of the summer season, we encourage our residents to be aware of tick-borne diseases," Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin said in a statement. He encouraged residents with concerns to reach out to the county Health Department.

To prevent exposure, residents are encouraged to take the following measures to protect themselves from anaplasmosis and other tick-borne diseases:

Wear repellent with DEET on skin or clothing;

Create tick-safe zones in your yard through appropriate landscaping, applying pesticides and keeping deer away;

Check your body, clothing and pets for ticks;

Check under arms, ears, belly button, backs of knees, between legs, around the waist, and in and around all head and body hair;

Shower soon after being outdoors;

Check clothes carefully or put into a dryer on high heat;

Prevent family pets from bringing ticks into the home by using veterinarian-prescribed tick collars or spot-on treatment;

Remove attached ticks quickly and carefully using fine-tipped tweezers.

For more information, contact the county Health Department at 518-270-2655.