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Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses on the rise in W.Va.

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1 year ago

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Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses on the rise in W.Va.


CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – West Virginia has a high number of Lyme disease cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

West Virginia’s central epidemiologist, Dr. Dan Barker, said Lyme Disease cases almost doubled this year.

“Usually every year our Lyme numbers nearly double,” Barker said. “Ticks are expanding into new areas they have not been before. Also, West Virginia is a very outdoorsy state.”

So far, West Virginia has had more than 830 cases of Lyme disease and more than 200 of those cases were reported in Kanawha County alone.

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Barker said many tick-borne illnesses present themselves as a rash.

“It is headache, stiffness in the joints, maybe a slight fever or cough. A couple tick illnesses have a GI component to them; you may feel nauseous,” Barker said.

If a tick is attached, it is important to remove correctly to prevent infection. Much more information about ticks and tick-borne diseases can be found here.

“Lift is straight up, don’t pull it at an angle or anything,” Barker said. “If the tick is not fully engorged with blood, if it is not full of blood, you don’t have too much to worry about.”

One illness Barker said they have seen cases of in Kanawha County is Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), also known as the red meat allergy.

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“It can kind of present itself in ways like lactose intolerance because you won’t be able to consume any dairy products, as well, so it could be dairy or any kind of red meat,” Barker said.

Jennifer Blair said he daughter has the red meat allergy after a tick bite. Blair, who’s from Ashland, Kentucky, said her daughter’s symptoms could never go away. She added that it took a year for the now 5-year-old to be diagnosed properly.

“It started with a lot of indigestion and then it went into the full on-body rashes and just progressed from there,” Blair said. “She reacts to all byproducts down to shampoos, toilet paper, toothpaste, sugar — all of that. So pretty much anything mammal and anything dairy.”

Into the fall months, Barker said deer ticks are more common. Ticks can be found on pets, trees and grass.

To repel ticks, wear pants, keep grass short and wear a repellant with Deet.

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Copyright 2023 WSAZ. All rights reserved.



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West Virginia

WV Parkways Authority gives estimates on Turnpike travel numbers ahead of holidays – WV MetroNews

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5 hours ago

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December 21, 2024

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WV Parkways Authority gives estimates on Turnpike travel numbers ahead of holidays – WV MetroNews


A toll plaza on the West Virginia Turnpike. (WVDOT)

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The WV Parkways Authority says they’re anticipating roughly 1.48 million transactions on the WV Turnpike from December 20 to January 2.

WV Parkways compiled data from last holiday travel season and data from 2019.

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Christmas Day is expected to be the slowest of the 14-day span, with Friday likely seeing the most transactions.

WV Parkways official day-by-day estimates are as follows:

  • Friday, December 20 – 140,000 transactions
  • Saturday, December 21 – 130,000 transactions
  • Sunday, December 22 – 135,000 transactions
  • Monday, December 23 – 105,000 transactions
  • Tuesday, December 24 – 52,500 transactions
  • Wednesday, December – 25 – 52,00 transactions
  • Thursday, December 26 – 130,000 transactions
  • Friday, December 27 – 130,000 transactions
  • Saturday, December 28 – 120,000 transactions
  • Sunday, December 29 – 115,000 transactions
  • Monday, Dec. 30 – 105,000 transactions
  • Tuesday, December 31 – 75,000 transactions
  • Wednesday, January 1 – 85,000 transactions
  • Thursday, January 2 – 105,000 transactions.

The WV Turnpike recently introduced the “toll by plate” option, which allows motorists to travel through the EZ-Pass lanes, get their plates scanned and pay on the turnpike’s website within 30 days of the trip.

WV Parkways officials say the yearly EZ-Pass option continues to be the most efficient option, both on the day of travel and in terms of saving money.

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West Virginia

Justice appoints Del. Thorne to West Virginia Senate, leaving vacancy in House • West Virginia Watch

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14 hours ago

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December 20, 2024

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Justice appoints Del. Thorne to West Virginia Senate, leaving vacancy in House • West Virginia Watch


Gov. Jim Justice on Friday appointed Del. Darren Thorne, R-Hampshire, to the state Senate, filling the seat vacated earlier this month by Sen. Charlie Trump, R-Morgan, according to the news release.

The Senate seat covers all of Hampshire and Morgan Counties and parts of Berkeley and Mineral Counties, according to the release.

“I’m honored that Governor Justice has chosen me to be the next Senator from the 15th District,” Thorne said in a separate news release from the state Senate. “I have greatly enjoyed my time in the House of Delegates, and I look forward to serving both my current constituents in Hampshire County and my new constituents in Morgan and Berkeley counties in this new role. I look forward to this opportunity and working with Senate leadership to help move West Virginia forward.”

Trump — whose seat in the Senate was not up for election this year — resigned in early December after winning his race for the state Supreme Court of Appeals.

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Thorne won his reelection to the House in November. With his switch to the Senate, a Republican will now need to be appointed for his seat in the House.

A farmer by trade, Thorne was first elected to the House in 2022. Over the last two sessions, he has signed on as the lead sponsor of seven bills. One of those — House Bill 5349, the Truth in Food Labeling Act — was signed into law. 

In 2023 and 2024 sessions, Thorne introduced two bills twice: one to ban drag performances in front of minors and another that would have dictated how schools in the state teach concepts related to race, sex, ethnicity, religion or national origin. In both years, both of those bills died in committees.

Trump was elected to the state Senate in 2014. He successfully ran for the office after serving in the House of Delegates from 1992 to 2006, serving as minority whip for the then-Democrat controlled body from 1999 on. He will take the Supreme Court seat currently held by Chief Justice John A. Hutchison, who announced last year that he would be retiring from the judicial body. 

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West Virginia

E-News | WVU Tech student named WV Hive Collegiate Entrepreneur of the Year

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21 hours ago

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December 20, 2024

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E-News | WVU Tech student named WV Hive Collegiate Entrepreneur of the Year


Bill Woodrum, senior program officer at the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, delivered keynote remarks and Judy Moore, executive director of the WV Hive and deputy director of the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority, presented awards to 12 entrepreneurs and partners during the annual West Virginia Hive Open House and Awards Ceremony on Dec. 13.

Manuel Furmento, a civil engineering student from Uruguay, was awarded for his invention of the SkyMounts television stand and securing a provisional patent for his idea. 

He assembled a team, including his brother, and went to work laying the foundation for a working prototype and a company to sell the product.

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“Entrepreneurship and small business development are the lifeblood of our communities,” Woodrum said. “The WV Hive plays a critical role in fostering innovation, providing support and empowering individuals to pursue their dreams. The entrepreneurs and partners recognized today exemplify the resilience and ingenuity that drive economic progress in West Virginia.”

Read more about the awardees.



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