Daniel Zuckerman is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media on the Lyme disease informational meeting held at the A.B. Shaw Firehouse in Claverack, February 11. The event was hosted by Assembly member Didi Barrett and the Claverack Free Library. The event was held as part of Barrett's social media campaign, [hashtag] Get Ticked Off, to help spread awareness of Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses. “What we’re seeing is that Columbia County, while we have a high incidence of Lyme and tick-borne disease, the community itself has not been engaged,” Barrett said after the event. “Dutchess County has a very robust tick task force.” Several hundred cases are reported in Greene and Columbia counties every year, Dr. Ananthakrishnan Ramani, of the Columbia County Department of Health said. In 2002, there were more than 1,000 reported cases. He said officials have good reason to believe the disease is underreported nationwide. “Only 20 percent is being reported in Columbia County,” Ramani said. To prevent Lyme disease, Ramani recommends performing tick checks after being outdoors, staying in the center of nature trails when hiking, and using inspect repellent. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.