Okay, Babesiosis. What the heck ARE you, and how did my mother-in-law get it when she lives in Port Jefferson?

Well, it's another disease carried by our good friend, the deer tick. It has been found on Fire Island, but seems to have jumped to the mainland here. The lady in question was feeling pretty punk; no energy at all (and this is a sprightly woman who spends a lot of  time outdoors gardening), excessive joint pain, and eventually a lack of appetite and believe it or not, lack of thirst. This got her going to her doctor, who either had a hunch or has seen it before, ran the test for it, and started treatment immediately. Thank you, Dr. Gives-a-Damn. I believe this one slips through the cracks more often than not, seeing how "rare" it is... it sure shocked us.

Babesiosis has the potential to be truly nasty, folks. Keep an eye out for this parasitic "bug".