NRV Counties’ Lyme Rates Are High. How To Prevent Tick-Borne Illnesses

First, the bad news.

Floyd County’s rate of Lyme disease is about 19 times higher than the state rate, according to the Virginia Department of Health. Pulaski County’s is seven times higher, Giles County’s is six times higher and Montgomery County’s is nearly four times higher.

These statistics are from 2023. However, “Year after year we don’t see a lot of changes. The New River Health District and surrounding areas have the highest rates of Lyme disease in the Commonwealth of Virginia. We’ve known for years that Floyd County is a really hot spot for Lyme disease and potentially other tick-borne illnesses,” said New River Health District epidemiologist Jason Deese in a phone interview on Wednesday.

Continue reading to learn more about preventing Lyme disease, written by Abby Steketee.