Because Lyme disease cases increased in Fairfax County last year, Fairfax County Chairman Sharon Bulova and Providence District Supervisor Linda Q. Smyth are hosting a town hall meeting on Saturday, May 15, 10 a.m. to noon. The event will take place in the Board Auditorium, Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax. More info, click here.

Special guest U.S. Rep. Gerald E. Connolly will participate in the town hall. The event will feature presentations and a panel discussion with county staff and two of the nation’s leading experts on Lyme disease.

“Lyme disease is on the rise in Virginia and the United States, according to the CDC,” said Bulova. “As people spend more time outdoors because of the warm weather, we want them to know how to protect themselves from the ticks that transmit Lyme disease.”

   Lyme Disease Update, VA Department of Health

Two leading experts from the U.S. Centers on Disease Control and Prevention will make presentations. Benjamin Beard, Ph.D., chief, Bacterial Diseases Branch, and Dr. Paul Mead, chief, Epidemiology and Surveillance Activity, will discuss a variety of topics, including:

• How ticks transmit the disease.
• How the disease is spreading from the Northeast into Northern Virginia.
• What people can do to protect themselves.

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