Community
Uptick in Lyme Disease Cases Has Belmont County on Alert
By GAGE VOTAAugust 28, 2026
4 min read
AP file photo
This is a March 2002 file photo of a deer tick under a microscope in the entomology lab at the University of Rhode Island in South Kingstown, R.I.
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MARTINS FERRY – Belmont County leads Ohio in Lyme disease cases by leaps and bounds
There are currently 121 confirmed cases in Belmont County, with the second-most cases in the state being Jefferson County with 78 confirmed cases
Belmont County Health Commissioner Robert Sproul said there has been a significant increase in ticks coming from the East Coast into the county, but also more doctors are testing for Lyme disease
“We’re kind of wondering if it’s more of the case that our local physicians are testing more for Lyme disease,” Sproul said. “In years past, a lot of people wouldn’t really test for Lyme disease because it wasn’t as prevalent here. Now that we’re starting to see it, they’re testing a little bit more, which is a good thing, because the quicker you can get tested and if it’s positive, the quicker you can get antibiotics.”
He added that the importance of getting tested is to get on antibiotics to lessen the severity of Lyme disease
Lyme disease can cause long-term effects if you either don’t catch it early enough or ignore the symptoms
According to the Harvard School of Medicine, early symptoms of Lyme disease include fatigue, malaise, lethargy, muscle or joint pain that moves around, loss of appetite, swollen lymph nodes and fever
“The standard bull’s eye rash is a sign of a tick bite. Another situation is people get flu-like symptoms where they get achy, they get very tired, fatigued, and just almost like the flu,” Sproul said. “If they’re feeling sick and can’t figure out what it is there’s a fair chance that they could have Lyme disease.”
Symptoms of Lyme disease include fatigue, malaise, lethargy, muscle or joint pain that moves around, loss of appetite, swollen lymph nodes and fever
He added that not only Belmont County, but Ohio has seen a lot more species of ticks move into the area
“The Lone Star tick wasn’t here 10 to 15 years ago. And now it’s throughout Belmont County and moving across to Ohio. We’re seeing new species of ticks that are moving in the area. They’re much smaller and much harder to find and remove,” Sproul said. “The lone star tick is about the size of a flake of pepper. I mean, it’s a very, very small tick, as opposed to a dog tick, which is a fairly good sized tick.”
He added that residents must remain vigilant after spending time outside
Sproul said that there’s a lot of over-the-counter tick preventatives, with some killing ticks and some just preventing them
DEET is a popular over-the-counter tick repellent, but many people do not like to use it due to the various chemicals in the repellent
DEET is an insect repellent that is used in products to prevent bites from creatures such as mosquitoes, biting flies, fleas and small flying insects. DEET is a colorless liquid that has a faint odor and does not dissolve easily in water
According to the National Pesticide Information Center, people who have left DEET products on their skin for extended periods of time have experienced irritation, redness, a rash and swelling
Sproul recommends wearing light-colored clothes so that you can see if a tick lands on you or is crawling up your leg, showering after you’ve been out in the woods for a while and being as vigilant as possible
According to the Ohio Department of Natural Rencluding its mouthparts, from your skin using tweezers. Monitor your health in the <a href="https://healthylife7.com/following-the-games-cortina-is-focusing-on-its-legacy-of-wellbeing/” title=”Following the Games, Cortina is focusing on its legacy of wellbeing”>following days. While the CDC recognizes a 36- to 48-hour window is needed for disease transmission, there is evidence that transmission can occur sooner
