STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A new and rare tick-borne illness, similar to Lyme disease, has been detected in upstate New York, according to a recent report.

Upstate Medical University confirmed to Syracuse.com that at least two people in Central New York were exposed to the illness, known as Borrelia miyamotoi disease (BMD).

Infectious disease specialist at Upstate Medical University, Dr. Kris Paolino, told Syracuse.com the hospital hasn’t seen may cases, and the risk for the disease is low -- but the potential risk is “extreme.”

That’s because BMD is a relatively new and rare disease in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said researchers and health care providers are working to answer question, such as the signs and symptoms of the illness, where it is typically found, how common it is and who is at the greatest risk for infection.

According to the CDC, BMD is a type of spiral-shaped bacteria closely related to the bacteria that causes tick-borne relapsing fever. It is distantly related to the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Patients with this illness suffer from fever, chills, headache, body and joint pain and fatigue.

It was first identified in 1995 in ticks in Japan, and has since been detected in two types of North American ticks -- the blacklegged or “deer” tick and the Western blacklegged tick. These ticks are known to spread Lyme disease and anaplasmosis.

Bryon Backenson, the state Department of Health deputy director of communicable disease control, told Syracuse.com that few ticks in New York were found to carry miyamotoi, but numbers are likely to increase. Of the 7,600 ticks collected last year by the agency, 58 ticks had miyamotoi -- which is less than 1%.

Another challenge is finding out how ticks and animals can spread the disease.

Brian Leydet, a professor and tick expert at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, told Syracuse.com that female ticks can pass on the bacteria to their eggs. However, emerging larvae are fragile and die easily -- which mean that it’s not clear how important the offspring is in transmitting this new disease.

Patients with the illness are treated with a two- to four-week course of the antibiotic doxycycline -- similar to treating Lyme disease, according to the CDC.

NEW INVASIVE TICK

Last year, the CDC warned of a new invasive tick species, which is capable of transmitting disease to humans and animals, is spreading across the United States. The Asian longhorned tick -- usually found in areas of east Asia, Japan, Australia and New Zealand -- was discovered in the Conference House Park in Tottenville in late August 2018.

This species can quickly grow in large numbers. A single female tick can produce up to 2,000 eggs at a time without mating, according to the CDC. As a result, hundreds to thousands of ticks can be found on a single animal, person or in the environment.

At least 855 Asian longhorned ticks -- including adult, nymph and larvae life stages -- were removed from just 16 white-tailed deer on Staten Island last summer.

PROTECT YOURSELF

The best way to protect yourself against the disease is to protect yourself against ticks. After returning indoors from tick-infested areas, it’s important to check yourself, children and pets, according to the New York City Department of Health (DOH).

Your chance of getting sick from a tick bite is lower if you remove the tick quickly. Look for ticks around all joint areas, the belly button, behind ears, behind knees, between the legs, around the waist, in the hairline and in other skin folds. You should also shower within two hours of coming indoors to wash off ticks and make it easier to find any crawling ticks.

Here are more tips to protect you and your family against ticks:

Wear long sleeves and pants when spending time in and around long grass. Tuck pant legs into socks.

Wear white or light-colored clothing so it’s easier to spot ticks.

Shower shortly after returning home from the outdoors.

Examine pets, coats and day packs for ticks.

Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks in dry clothing after you come indoors.

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