How Lyme Disease Turned Fatal For an HV Teen

It's about time that everyone outside of the upper east coast realized what a serious issue we have with ticks. A story about a 17 year old from Poughkeepsie dying from complications from tick bacteria is getting international attention.

I'm not from New York originally. I grew up in Michigan, a state known for it's lakes, state parks and dense forests. Needless to say I'm no stranger to spending time in the woods. That being said, until I moved to New York I knew 2 people who had Lyme Disease. People are often shocked by the story around here. I know of at least 3 people in my office who have the bacteria. According to an article on Patch, some have data to show that New York state has some of the worst Lyme Disease statistics in the country. The reality is that the tick problem is not a common thing at all for the rest of the country. Why is it so bad here and when will we recognize that it's a serious problem?

Recently, an old story was shared on Daily Mail about a Poughkeepsie teen who had a fatal case of Lyme Disease is going viral. According to the article, in 2013, 17 year old Joseph Elone collapsed in his yard and was pronounced dead hours later. It was later determined by doctors that Joseph was bitten by a tick and developed a rare and under-diagnosed heart infection called Lyme carditis. What makes the case more perplexing is that he had no visible signs of being bitten.

It's an extremely sad case that shows us that a solution to New York state's tick problem should be a top priority for medical researchers and government officials.

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