The Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department issued a public health advisory on Wednesday, Aug. 13, following an equipment failure during routine maintenance that resulted in the release of raw sewage into Lake Leelanau at the Lake Leelanau DNR Boat Ramp East on East Bingham Road.
May is National Lyme Disease Awareness Month, a time to focus on protecting your health and staying informed about tick-borne illnesses. The Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department reminds residents that Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, is the most common tick-borne illness in Michigan. Ticks are most active in spring and summer, and wooded, grassy, or brushy areas increase your risk of exposure. Early detection and prevention are key to avoiding Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections.
Imagine putting in the interminable work required to face down alcoholism and maintain your sobriety for 30 years. Through that journey, you mentor dozens of other women in the throes of their own addiction recovery. Now imagine your world is rocked by a rare neurodegenerative disease called Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS) that, among other cruel symptoms, causes your speech to slur. Most people would feel justified in reacting with anger or indignation but not Tricia Denton of Maple City. “I just found it humorous. We always have the opportunity to turn those situations into teaching and awareness opportunities,” she says with remarkable grace. Click here to read more, and find a link to support Denton’s GoFundMe campaign.
With dangerously low child vaccination rates against measles in this region, federal government funding cuts couldn’t come at a worse time for the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department. The BLDHD learned on April 1 that it would face a funding shortfall of more than $230,000 in the coming fiscal year—much of it related to school health services the department provides to local schools. In Leelanau County, 82 percent of children between ages 6-18 years have received the MMR vaccine, which offers 97 protection against measles, mumps and rubella after the second dose. In Benzie County, the number is 83 percent. “That rate is relatively low. Ideally, we should be at 95 percent,” said BLDHD health officer Dan Thorell. “Very few vaccines are as effective as the measles vaccine.”
The Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department (BLDHD) is notifying residents of an increase of tick-borne diseases in Benzie and Leelanau Counties within the last month. Since January 1, BLDHD reported 25 suspected or confirmed cases of Lyme Disease and three suspected or confirmed cases of Ehrlichiosis. Of the 25 cases of Lyme Disease, 14 cases have been diagnosed within the last month.
Tick bites and cases of tick-borne illnesses such as Lyme Disease and Anaplasmosis are increasing in northern Michigan, according to statistics from the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department and confirmed by local doctors and staff within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Leelanau County registered 14 cases of tick-born illness last year, more than doubling the previous year’s tally. Beyond statistics, the upward trend has proven tragic for this community. Glen Arbor lost popular realtor and ski coach John Peppler to a tick-born disease last August. National Lakeshore superintendent Scott Tucker said that one Park employee nearly died last year of Anaplasmosis caused by a tick bite that happened at a Sleeping Bear campground.
Springtime means more people head outdoors, which also means the chances of incidental human-tick interactions increase. Several kinds of ticks can carry dangerous bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Not all tick bites will make you sick, but tick-borne diseases do occur in Michigan, such as Lyme Disease, Anaplasmosis, Ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Babesiosis. Last year, the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department reported 34 suspected or confirmed cases of Lyme Disease and six suspected or confirmed cases of Ehrlichiosis.
The Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department has created a portal in partnership with Laserfiche to increase access for residents to view their well and septic records. The portal went live on the website with Leelanau County records in early 2021 and Benzie County records have been digitized and added this week.
According to statistics from the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department, 0 new positive cases of COVID-19 were reported yesterday, Feb. 21. That’s the first day without reported cases since last September 5, when the weather was still warm, people still fraternized outdoors, and before the Omicron variant spread. “It is great news that the number of cases is declining in our state and our region,” Lisa Peacock, health officer for the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department, said in a press release today. “We want to keep this downward trend continuing and prevent another surge. Therefore, it is still critical that anyone who is eligible get vaccinated and receive their booster shot.”
Due to improving conditions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department announced that the First Amended Order which requires masks to be worn in school settings will be lifted on Thursday, February 17.