Onondaga County is reporting an alarming new tick-borne disease with twice as many cases this year than in the past five years combined.

It’s called anaplasmosis, and while the Onondaga County Health Commissioner says it's typically rare, there have been six reported cases locally this year.

It’s spread by the same tick that spreads Lyme disease and symptoms normally begin within one to two weeks after being bitten. Some of the symptoms include fever, chills, muscle aches, nausea and vomiting.

It is important to get treatment early, but there are ways to protect yourself. You can wear light-colored clothing, check for ticks daily, avoid walking off of trail paths out on hikes and use tick repellent.

If you do find a tick, you can also mail it into the Upstate Tick Testing Lab. They’ll test it for any pathogens so you know your risk of infection.