The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • B4

B4 Metro MONDAY, MARCH 2 0 2 0 2 3 New England is experiencing makes it easier for ticks to sur- vive, Vannier said. Dr. Peter J. Krause, a senior researcher at the Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine, called the new CDC report a that con- firmed the growing prevalence of babesiosis in the Northeast and found that the disease now poses an ongoing threat in the three additional New England states. warming is one of several reasons for the uTICKS Continued from Page B1 Krause said Saturday in a phone interview.

disease is mov- ing CDC researchers examined babesiosis data from 10 states that accounted for 16,174 of cas- es reported to the agency be- tween 2011 and 2019. The 10 states include the six New England states, plus New York, New Jersey, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Cases in those states represent more than 98 percent of all babesiosis infec- tions reported to the CDC dur- ing the eight-year period, the re- port said. Ticks the size of poppy seeds pick up the parasites that cause babesiosis by feeding on white- footed mice, according to the TickEncounter Resource Center. Once the ticks are infected with the parasite, they can pass the disease to humans.

People can also become in- fected from blood transfusions, and the US Food and Drug Ad- ministration recommends blood donations be screened for infec- tion in 14 states and Washing- ton, D.C., according to the CDC. Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire, the three states just recently put on the endemic list, experienced the largest swing in case numbers during the study period, the report said. In Vermont, the number of cases increased from two in 2011 to 34 cases in 2019. Maine reported nine cases in 2011, and then 138 cases in 2019. In New Hampshire, the number of cases grew from 13 in 2011 to 63 in 2019, the CDC said.

The CDC and state public health agencies in those three states respond to an in- quiry from the Globe. Babesiosis is a parasitic in- fection of the red blood cells and can cause illness ranging from asymptomatic or mild to severe, even fatal disease, the CDC said. People who are 50 or older, have a compromised immune system, or take immunosuppressants face greater risk of developing serious illness from babesiosis, Krause said. Also at risk are patients who have a spleen, researchers said, because the organ removes red blood cells carrying the Babesia parasite from blood. Symptoms of babesiosis in- clude fever, chills, headache, and fatigue, Krause said.

The disease can be diagnosed by ex- amining a blood sample under a microscope. Babesiosis is treat- ed with prescription medica- tions, experts said. The CDC recommends peo- ple who spend time outdoors in spots where babesiosis is preva- lent wear long pants, avoid un- derbrush and long grass, and use tick repellents to lower their risk of infection. There is no vaccine for the disease. like me are working on Vannier said.

Laura Crimaldi can be reached at laura.crimaldi@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter Tick-borne disease babesiosis now endemic in 3 more states their way to the parade. The parade is organized by the South Boston Allied War Veteran Council, and is meant to honor St. Day and the deep Irish roots, mili- tary veterans, and Evacuation Day, when British forces fled Boston during the Revolution- ary War. In the past, St.

Pat- Day parade courted con- troversy around long-standing opposition to allowing mem- bers of the LGBTQ community from openly participating in the event. As late as 2017, then-orga- nizers were still trying to block a group of LGBTQ veterans from participating in the pa- rade. By the following year, the parade had started welcoming LGBTQ veterans. In a sign of how far the pa- rade has moved on from its ig- nominious history, Governor Maura Healey the first openly gay governor helped kick off the festivities. also a heck of a party.

Deirdre and Cian McCarthy, who are originally from County Cork in southern Ireland and moved to Newton recently, brought their 9-year-old daugh- ter and 7-year-old son to Sun- parade. They arrived early to get a good spot to watch the march- ers, with their children decked out in appropriately festive at- tire sent from an aunt back home: Irish flag capes, sham- rock-shaped glasses, and emer- ald green beads around their necks. think Boston is more Irish than Deirdre McCa- rthy quipped to a Globe report- er. Michael Lawson, 22, came into Boston for the parade from Billerica with several friends. Lawson admitted that he was only but said this weekend, it matter.

he said. carry it down and celebrate and support your heritage. Every- one has their own holidays, sure, but Irish on St. Ian Ganley of Somerville was one of the few on a Red Line train to walk off alone Sunday morning except for the case of Guinness he was carrying. uPARADE Continued from Page B1 good for the heart, and good for the he said, grin- ning.

Boston police had a visible presence Sunday, with scores of uniformed officers along the pa- rade route. Boston police had made four arrests as of late Sun- day afternoon, according to Ser- geant Detective John Boyle, a police spokesman. In the days leading up to the parade, authorities warned peo- ple not to use it as an excuse for public drinking. Liquor stores, bars, and restaurants were re- quired to close early Sunday in South Boston. Despite the warnings, many people were drinking along the route and on the subway Sun- day.

A group of Boston University students on a Red Line train heading to the parade Sunday morning cheered on a class- mate who chugged a beer as passengers watched. Just before the train arrived at the Broad- way station, his shirt soaking wet, he declared to the crowd: a bloody Some walked the South Bos- ton streets carrying borgs the nickname given to a rage a concoction of hard booze, water, and electro- lytes, mixed together in a gallon jug. Recipes for the drinks have spread on social media and are popular on college campuses. Mia Wheeler, 20, of Glouces- ter showed up with her friends toting a borg made of vodka mixed with an electrolyte mix- ture, while acknowledging it a very concoction. For other revelers, including many first-timers, Sunday was a chance to enjoy the sunshine and the parade itself.

Emily Albergo of Allston crossed her legs and leaned back comfortably on a green in- flatable couch on the sidewalk of West Broadway. found this spot, so we just wanted to chill she said. Angela Sughrue, 39, drove down from Maine to watch the parade. She missed last celebration, she said, and want- ed to make sure she was able to attend this time. She loves the bagpipes played during the march and even the crowds.

people watching is she said. By 4 p.m., the parade had wrapped up, and crowds were making their way out of South Boston. About a dozen officers on bicycles herded hundreds of students from Medal of Honor Park many young people sipped from beer cans, the smell of tobacco and cannabis hung in the air. Left behind along the parade route were broken bottles, emp- ty borgs, and Lucky Charms ce- real boxes. Street crews raced to pick up the garbage before the wind could.

John Hilliard can be reached at john.hilliard@globe.com. Daniel Kool can be reached at daniel.kool@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter Camilo Fonseca can be reached at camilo.fonseca@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter Bailey Allen can be reached at bailey.allen@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter The vibe at the parade: a great time to be in JESSICA STAFF People tried to catch items being tossed from a float at the St.

Day parade on Sunday in South Boston. Governor Maura Healey and Mayor Michelle Wu were among those paying respects at the South Boston VietnamMemorial on Sunday. NATHAN KLIMA FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE JESSICA STAFF Aman carried a jug labeled at the parade. Borg is the nickname for a rage of booze, water, and electrolytes. green boutonnieres.

Senate President Karen Spilka had a lime-green streak in her hair. They joined members of the congressional delegation, the Legislature, and other nota- bles who packed the stage, in- cluding Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Attorney General Andrea Campbell, Auditor Diana DiZo- glio, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Suffolk District Attor- ney Kevin Hayden, and mem- bers of the Boston City Council. In her first appearance at the event as governor, Maura Healey opened the breakfast by joking about the recorded greeting at Logan International Airport, a jab at the hiring crisis at the em- battledMBTA. what I really wanted to say: Welcome to Logan Air- port. Do you want to run the said the governor, who has yet to hire a general manager of the MBTA.

She also joked about being asked, does the lieuten- ant governor uBREAKFAST Continued from Page B1 been wonder- ing she said, inviting Driscoll to themicrophone. Healey and Driscoll held up two jars full of dollar bills, joking that speakers will have to pay up if they reference the or bas- ketball. The two, who were col- lege basketball players, heavily cited basketball in TV ads, fund- raising emails, and campaign events during the gubernatorial election. Speakers made jokes about controversial North End outdoor dining rules, the crum- bling MBTA infrastructure, and the Royal Family, who visited Boston last year. Spilka said she follow the Royals, but that gave the Senate a great idea no term limits for Senate presi- a reference to her cham- vote to extend her tenure indefinitely.

DiZoglio, a former senator herself, serenaded Spilka with a rendition of on Sun- She recently announced an audit of the Legislature, cast- ing it as a opera- that often operates in the shadows. walking on she sang. people want sun- They also joked about this past election cycle, when some races were relatively heated. In speech, she roasted Wu, her former col- league on the Boston City Coun- cil, who endorsed her opponent, largely self-funded labor attor- ney Shannon Liss-Riordan, in the Democratic primary. you know one thing about Michelle, she likes free things.

Between the free rides and rent control grants, she really is concerned about the cost of Campbell quipped. why so so confused why she endorsed a billionaire self-funded candidate for AG. still trying to figure that Wu laughed as did US Sena- tor Elizabeth Warren, who also endorsed Liss-Riordan for attor- ney general. As several dignitaries noted, the politics have shifted significantly since its power bro- kers last gathered for the event. Five out of the six constitu- tional officers are now women, and more women held the stage than men at the breakfast, which was noted in a few of the speeches.

Still, sexism persists, Wu joked in her remarks. the men, this is their an- nual opportunity to tell a few bad jokes that no one will re- she said. the women, our chance to tell a few bad jokes that will get taken totally out of In 2022, Healey was still one of several candidates for gover- nor, and Wu had recently been elected mayor. Republican Char- lie Baker was still in the corner office, and was the subject of jokes about his decision not to run for a third term. At that breakfast, Spilka handed Baker a large inflated duck: lame Baker, as well as former Bos- ton mayor Marty Walsh, who re- cently left his post as US labor secretary for the NHL Association, received plenty of jabs for their new roles.

Neither Walsh nor Baker, who now leads the NCAA as its president, were in attendance at this breakfast. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley joked that learned a lot in the past year, including that best way to become a popular politician in Massachu- setts is to actually stop being a politician and run a major na- tional sports Spilka joked about lu- crative new role, too. guess why he support themillionaires she said. Republicans were not spared by the all-Democrat head table Sunday. Wu joked that while St.

Pat- Day is celebrated for driv- ing the snakes out of Ireland and Evacuation Day is celebrated for driving the British out of Ameri- ca, Sunday should be declared Lyons named after the recently ousted state Repub- lican Party chair. propose Jim Lyons Day for his unparalleled contribution, helping us drive all the Republi- cans out of the State she joked. Spilka made a dig at Lyons, who she postulated was ready for his new job making li- cense plates at refer- encing the state prison. After the event, Healey said that while jokes are terri- she enjoyed her first break- fast in the top role. year, sure there will be a lot more fodder to work Samantha J.

Gross can be reached at samantha.gross Follow her on Trading jabs and jokes at the annual St. Day breakfast guess why he support the millionaires KAREN SPILKA, Senate president, on former Charlie new NCAA job.