Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Deer Ticks Carry Lyme Disease

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I Just Found A Tick Attached To Me What Should I Do

Experts warn of rare diseases ticks can carry

Dont panic. First, remove the tick with a pair of tweezers. Grasp the tick close to the skin and pull directly upwards until the tick comes free.

Try to remove the tick whole. If you do, it is likely the tick will still be alive and moving.

Place the tick in a plastic bag or other sealed container. Try to identify what kind of tick it is that bit you. An online tick identification chart, like the one from the University of Rhode Islands TickEncounter Resource Center may be helpful. If you are not sure what type of tick bit you, it is best to bring it to your doctor or someone else who can identify ticks.

Its important to remember that Lyme disease is not the only infection spread by deer ticks, and deer ticks are not the only ticks that can spread infections. After any tick bite, you should monitor your health. If you develop a high fever or chills, you should seek medical attention, and be sure to mention to the doctor that you have recently had a tick bite.

Which Ticks Should I Worry About

Nymphal ticks cause most cases of Lyme disease. Because nymphs are as small as poppy seeds and their bite is painless, people often dont realize they have been bitten. Adult ticks can also infect humans, but are easier to spot and remove.

Not all ticks are infected. Because tick studies have only been done in a relatively few places, in most of the US, tick infection rates are unknown. Even in places where ticks generally do not carry Lyme, there may be hotspots of infection depending on local conditions. The tick infection rate may also change from year to year, even in one location.

To get a better idea of which tick-borne diseases have been found in your area, check this site.

Is There A Vaccine That Will Protect My Dog From Lyme Disease

A safe and generally effective vaccine is available for protecting dogs against Lyme disease. This vaccine is initially given twice, at two- to four-week intervals.

“Annual revaccination is necessary to maintain immunity.”

Annual revaccination is necessary to maintain immunity. Vaccination against Lyme disease will be determined by your pet’s lifestyle and individual risk assessment. Be sure to discuss any questions you may have regarding the type and frequency of vaccination with your veterinarian.

Contributors: Ryan Llera, BSc, DVM Ernest Ward, DVM

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Testing For Lyme Disease In Dogs

Lyme disease spread by ticks can be diagnosed with a simple blood tests in your veterinarian’s clinic. The C6 test is very sensitive and specific at diagnosing cases of Lyme disease and depending on clinical signs and concurrent results, treatment may be started immediately. If treatment has been successful, reductions in the QC6 at six months should be lower than the starting point.

Symptoms Diagnosis And Treatment

How to Spot Lyme Disease

Symptoms

Symptoms of Lyme disease vary and may develop days or weeks after a person is infected from a tick bite. Early symptoms may include:

  • Fever, chills, headache, muscle and joint pain, fatigue or swollen lymph nodes.
  • A rash at the site of the tick bite develops in 70 to 80 per cent of people infected.
  • A distinctive expanding, red ‘bulls-eye’ rash may develop at the site of the bite in some people.
  • Later symptoms may include dizziness, abnormal heartbeat, mental confusion or inability to think clearly , nervous system disorders .

Diagnosis

Getting a diagnosis of Lyme disease can be difficult as your symptoms may be similar to other illnesses. Inform your health care provider of any travel outside of the province and whether you have developed a rash around a recent tick bite.

Prevention and early diagnosis of Lyme disease are important. Consult a health care provider as soon as possible if you think you may have Lyme disease. The earlier you receive a diagnosis and treatment, the better your chances to make a full recovery.

Your health care provider should:

  • review your symptoms
  • find out if you were in an area at risk of having Lyme-infected blacklegged ticks
  • do a physical examination and
  • order laboratory blood tests to see if you have certain antibodies that could indicate you have the disease.

Treatment

  • sleep disturbance
  • muscle and joint pain or
  • mental confusion or inability to think clearly.

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Should I Be Tested For Lyme Disease After A Tick Bite

Lyme testing relies on detecting antibodies the bodys reaction to the germ not the germ itself. It takes time for the body to make antibodies, at least a couple of weeks after you have become infected. Someone with symptoms of very early Lyme disease is likely to have a negative Lyme antibody test. On the other hand, false positive Lyme tests can happen, so someone without symptoms of Lyme disease who tests positive is unlikely to really have the disease. Testing for Lyme disease shortly after a tick bite is not helpful, says Dr. Baer and may lead to a prescription for a medication that you just dont need.

What Percentage Of Deer Ticks In Connecticut Carry Lyme Disease

The blacklegged tick, commonly known as the deer tick, loves the warmer winters.

The more temperate conditions and the growing deer population have contributed to a sharp increase in deer ticks in Connecticut that carry Lyme disease, says the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. In 2019 testing of 3,517 blacklegged ticks, 35.7 percent carried Lyme disease.

We are currently in the midst of the peak activity sason for adult blacklegged ticks, says Dr. Gourdarz Molaei, director of the CAES Passive Tick Surveillance and Testing Program, and nearing the season for increased nymphal activity, which are often more difficult to detect because of their small size and propensity to quickly attach and feed.

The number of people infected with Lyme disease remains uncertain because its difficult to diagnose and often unreported. Some people test positive when they actually have a different bacterial illness. Some with Lyme disease test negative. Symptoms of chronic Lyme disease also often mimic chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

What it takes to get infected: Its not so much a tick bite as a long-term tick residency on your skin. An infected tick attached to your skin for less than 36 to 48 hours is unlikely to transmit Lyme disease. Surprised? Your mother was right: Check yourself for ticks!

How to remove a tick: The CDC recommends fine-tipped tweezers.

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Do All Tick Bites Carry Lyme Disease

Before you vow never to venture outdoors again, you need to know which ticks carry Lyme disease. Even though there are hundreds of tick species, only the blacklegged variety transmits the disease. These insects are always searching for a host. And both humans and animalsespecially white-tailed deer and chipmunksmake for a tasty meal.

Blacklegged ticks have flat, ovular bodies. They are orange-brown in color and only reach about 1/8 in length. Their color and size, however, change throughout different points of the tick life cycle.

Do Dog Ticks Carry Lyme

Ticks Can Carry Virus Worse Than Lyme Disease

The brown dog tick, also called the kennel tick, is common across the U.S. Its unique among ticks because it does well indoors. The adult tick is reddish-brown and usually attaches around the ears or between a dogs toes. This tick rarely bites people, but it can carry serious diseases that affect dogs, such as ehrlichiosis.

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Here Are Risk Factors For Lyme Disease:

  • Having a tick attached to your skin for more than 36 hours
  • Exposing a lot of skin while outdoors
  • Working an outdoor job
  • Living in a heavily wooded area

While not all species carry Lyme, many other varieties do sometimes carry other diseases. After removing any tick from your body, make sure to be on the lookout for any signs of sickness. Again, not every tick will transmit disease, but any tick bite has the potential.

Lifecycle Of Blacklegged Ticks

The lifecycle of blacklegged ticks generally lasts two years. During this time, they go through four life stages: egg, six-legged larva, eight-legged nymph, and adult. After the eggs hatch, the ticks must have a blood meal at every stage to survive.

Relative sizes of several ticks at different life stages. In general, adult ticks are approximately the size of a sesame seed and nymphal ticks are approximately the size of a poppy seed.

Blacklegged ticks can feed from mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. The ticks need to have a new host at each stage of their life, as shown below:

This diagram shows the lifecycle of blacklegged ticks that can transmit Lyme disease.

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How Can I Prevent Tick Bites

The best way to beat Lyme disease is to avoid the ticks that spread it. Ticks cannot jump or fly, and must wait for a passing animal to grab hold of. They live in areas with tall grass and bushes, and where there are thick layers of plant debris. They do not survive well on well trimmed lawns where the sun will quickly dry them out.

Keep your bushes well trimmed and your lawn free of garden debris. When walking in areas with tall grass or brush, it is important to cover arms and legs with long shirt sleeves and long pants, and to tuck pant cuffs into socks to deny ticks entrance.

Insecticide sprays such as permethrin can be used on clothing before outdoor activities. One application will last in fabric for several months. Insect repellent such as DEET or picaridin can be used on skin, and only last several hours at the most. Apply according to the directions on the package, and be careful not to get it in your eyes or mouth.

After coming in from the outdoors, it is important to look over your body and/or your childs body for ticks. This is best done in the shower or bath. Pay close attention to areas where the ticks may hide in the armpits, in the groin, in the belly button, and on the scalp and behind the ears.

Ticks Carrying Lyme Disease

Nugent: Lyme Alert!

Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and rarely, Borrelia mayonii.It is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated,.

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When Can I Get Lyme Disease

Lyme disease can occur during any time of the year. The bacteria that cause Lyme disease are spread by infected black-legged ticks. Young ticks are most active during the warm weather months between May and July. Adult ticks are most active during the fall and spring but may also be out searching for a host any time that winter temperatures are above freezing.

What Are The Transmission Times For Other Tickborne Diseases

  • Powassan virus transmission may take as little as 15 minutes of attachment. This is documented in mice and may be different for humans.
  • Anaplasmosis transmission may take less than 24 hours of attachment. This is documented in mice and may be different for humans.
  • Babesiosis transmission may take less than 36 hours and increases with attachment time. This is documented in hamsters and may be different in humans.
  • Borrelia miyamotoi transmission may happen within the first 24 hours of attachment. The likelihood of transmission increases with attachment time. Transmission time for Borrelia miyamotoi is documented in mice and may be different for humans.
  • One tick can carry several diseases. The transmission times of multiple infectious agents carried by one tick is not yet known.

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What Diseases Can The Ticks Found In Maine Carry

  • The deer tick , also known as the black-legged tick, is the primary vector of Lyme disease,, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Borreliamiyamotoi . Deer ticks are also a vector for Powassan virus,, a potentially deadly form of encephalitis.
  • American dog ticks can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia. Ticks in Maine are not known to carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever or tularemia.
  • The woodchuck tick can transmit Powassan virus.,
  • The lone star tick can transmit Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Ehrlichia ewingii , tularemia, and STARI. The lone star ticks are moving north and are not fully established in Maine.

Odds Of Catching Lyme Disease From A Tick Bite

After Long Winter, Explosion Of Lyme Disease-Carrying Ticks Expected

The chance of catching Lyme disease from an individual tick ranges from roughly zero to 50 percent. Risk of contracting Lyme disease from a tick bite depends on three factors: the tick species, where the tick came from, and how long it was biting you. Thats why the sooner you can remove the entire tick, the lower your chances of contracting a tick-borne disease.

Where we live makes a difference in these odds, too. We live in the upper Midwest, and unfortunately for us, a recent study found that up to 50 percent of blacklegged ticks are infected with Lyme disease. The Centers for Disease Control, however, state that it takes a tick 36 to 48 hours attached to the skin to transmit symptoms from tick bites and tick-borne disease.

Whether or not that timeframe is true, I cant say for sure. But I can say that Lyme disease is preventable, and taking a proactive approach to avoiding tick bites can save you a lot of aggravation. If you do spot a tick on yourself or your child, take them to the doctor or Firelands Regional Medical Center QuickCare, where they may be prescribed antibiotics. You can even opt to have the tick tested for Lyme disease.

Most of the time tick bites are harmless and symptoms from tick bites are rare. However general symptoms from tick bites include:

Dr. Mark Schmiedl

  • Pain or swelling on the bite site
  • Burning sensation on the bite site
  • Blisters
  • Red spot or rash near the bite site
  • Full body rash
  • Muscle or joint pain or achiness
  • Fever

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Wood Tick Lyme Disease

The Lyme disease bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, is spread through the bite of infected ticks.The blacklegged tick spreads the disease in the northeastern, mid-Atlantic, and north-central United States.The western blacklegged tick spreads the disease on the Pacific Coast.Ticks can attach to any part of the human.

Could Reducing Deer Populations Reduce Lyme Disease

White-tailed deer are a primary host of adult blacklegged ticks , which carry and transmit Lyme disease. Research suggests that reducing deer populations can reduce tick populations accordingly.

Lyme disease has been a growing problem in the United States, with the number of cases increasing throughout the past few decades.

The disease primarily is spread through a bacterium vectored by the tick Ixodes scapularis, also known as the blacklegged tick . The increasing spread of Lyme disease could be due to a variety of factors, such as suburbanization, reforestation or forest fragmentation, and changes to human behavior, just to name a few.

Because of the diversity of reasons for the spread of Lyme disease, controlling and reducing the number of occurrences of the disease takes a multitude of approaches. One popular approach is to reduce the population numbers of ticks that vector the disease.

In a new article published in the open-access Journal of Integrated Pest Management, Sam Telford, Ph.D., from the Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health at the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, argues that reducing deer populations is a key component of managing tick populations.

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What You Need To Know About Lyme Disease

  • Lyme disease is an infection caused by the spiral-shaped bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, which is most commonly transmitted by a tick bite.

  • There are over 300,000 estimated new cases of Lyme disease in the United States each year.

  • The symptoms of Lyme disease depend on the how long the infection has been present in the body. The first sign of Lyme disease is often an expanding round or oval red “bullseye” rash.

  • If left untreated, people may develop neurological symptoms and heart problems, and have an approximately 60 percent chance of developing Lyme arthritis.

How Common Is Erythema Migrans In People With Lyme Disease

New research finds 1 in 5 deer ticks carry Lyme disease in ...
  • This occurs in about 70-80% of cases nationally.,
  • In Maine, the rash is reported in about 50% of cases. This is likely lower than the actual number since not all rashes are reported.
  • This usually appears 3-30 days after a tick bite.,
  • Early on, the rash of Lyme disease may appear only as a flat red circle without the “bull’s-eye” appearance.
  • The rash usually expands and then goes away. Its disappearance does not necessarily mean the infection is gone.

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How Ticks Find Their Hosts

Ticks can’t fly or jump. Instead, they wait for a host, resting on the tips of grasses and shrubs in a position known as “questing”. While questing, ticks hold onto leaves and grass by their lower legs. They hold their upper pair of legs outstretched, waiting to climb onto a passing host. When a host brushes the spot where a tick is waiting, it quickly climbs aboard. It then finds a suitable place to bite its host.

What Can I Do To Lower My Chances Of Getting Lyme Disease Or Any Other Disease From Ticks

Prevention begins with you! Take steps to reduce your chances of being bitten by any tick. Ticks are most active during warm weather, generally late spring through fall. However, ticks can be out any time that temperatures are above freezing. Ticks cling to vegetation and are most numerous in brushy, wooded or grassy habitats. When you are outside in an area likely to have ticks , follow these simple steps to protect yourself and your loved ones:

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