St. Mary’s County proclaims May 2014 Lyme Disease Awareness Month; local survivor urges education and testing

The Board of County Commissioners for St. Mary’s County on May 20, 2014, proclaimed May 2014 as Lyme Disease Awareness Month and heard a presentation from a local survivor and program leader urging education, prevention and better access to care.

The proclamation, read during the commissioners’ meeting, noted that Maryland is among the states with high reported rates of Lyme disease and called for residents to practice prevention techniques such as frequent tick checks, the use of repellents and correct tick removal. The board “urge[d] every resident to take time this month to draw attention to this growing health problem and the importance of prevention, early detection, and proper treatment,” the proclamation said.

Marie Noelle Eteri, operations manager at the Northern Senior Activity Center in the county Department of Aging and Human Services, described her…