FREEPORT

In addition to the general need to keep people informed on disease control, a field epidemiologist will discuss increasing incidents of tick- and mosquito-borne infections during a meeting set for Wednesday, July 17.

Kate Colby, field epidemiologist from Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, will speak from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Town Hall. Colby will present general information focused on the prevention of tick-borne infections such as Lyme disease, mosquito-borne infections such as West Nile, Eastern Equine Encephalitis and rash caused by brown tail moths.

And she will get specific.

“We are concerned about the increasing rates of Lyme disease and across the state,” Colby said. “And we’re starting to see more West Nile and Triple E in mosquitoes, and seeing it test positive in moose and other animals.”

Wednesday night’s session is sponsored by the town and the Cumberland District of the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention.

Colby works for the Cumberland office of the Maine Center for Disease Control.

“The main goal is prevention of tick-borne disease,” she said.

In addition, Colby said, the Mid-coast is a problem area for skin rashes caused by brown tail moths.

The idea, said Town Manager Peter Joseph, is to increase awareness.

“From a public health perspective,” Joseph said, “all three of these things can happen around here.”

Some 16,000 Americans are diagnosed with Lyme disease annually and mosquito-borne infections such as West Nile and Eastern equine encephalitis are on the rise. Lyme disease comes from a bacteria spread through the bite of an eight-legged deer tick, and it manifests in flu-like symptoms, such as fever and chills, muscle and joint pain, headaches and exhaustion.

lgrard@timesrecord.com