Lyme disease

Just read a book on the subject. I'll try to summarize while it's fresh in my mind, leaving out the medical tests to diagnose it since they could be complicated beyond my understanding.

First, the most important step is early diagnosis and treatment. Common signs of the disease are a red bullseye aound the bite, rashes, joint pain, and fever. There are blood tests to confirm the infection. The Northeast is the hotbed of infection with it occurring rarely in the Southern tier of states, and very rarely in desert areas. Possible victims in the areas of few problems showing those symptoms are looked ond with more doubt by doctors. Treatment involves antibiotics.

The rise in the number of cases of Lyme Disease follows almost exactly the increase in the deer population. There are 30 million deer in the US now, as opposed to 1/2 million in 1900. Nantucket island once had zero deer. In 1926 some deer were brought there. Now it has 2000 deer for the island's 50 square miles, and 411 cases of Lyme disease for the island's 10,000 full time residents and 40,000 summer residents.

Deer do not carry the disease. Ticks on the deer carry the disease. The ticks go through three stages of development, the larva, the nymph, and the adult. They have to have a meal of blood before going from one stage to another. The nymph stage is the one that transmitts the disease to humans. The adults live on the deer and eventually the female drops off and lays eggs, starting th ecycle over.

Ticks climb on plants and wait for an animal to pass by. I guess if you are doing field work and the tractor needs adjustment, it would be better to work on it in the field instead of driving it to shade at the edge of the field. Dogs can get Lyme disease but it doesn't affect them as badly.

There are different varieties of ticks but only one, commonly called the deer tick, carries Lyme disease. There are, of course other tick borne diseases.

There is no nnalert at the present time for Lyme disease. There was one but the drug company decided it was not cost effective to keep producing it. There is, however, a nnalert for dogs.

KEH

Thanks for the information, I'm not too old to learn and apply knowledge.

Thanks for the info, seems as if ticks are everywhere here in central MI now. NEVER saw one, NEVER knew or heard of anyone that had seen one around here. Now, in the last 2-3 years, everyone has seen them on themselves or their pets. No thanks! Let's go back the way it was lol.

Ross

Had a deer tick get latched on me last fall and went through the antibiotic treatment. So far this year have found one on dog and had one on me but had not start to attach himself.Dog gets a treatment every month for ticks. I live in Northern Indiana.

There use to be a nnalert. Worked good. Then it was withdrawn in 2002 because of baseless class-action lawsuits.

The deer ticks have also been known to be carried, and spread, my many species of birds.

How does one know if a nnalert works good?

If I don't get Lyme disease, did that mean the nnalert worked, or that the tick which bit me was not infected?

Part of the problems with vaccines is that they are marketed as "prevention," not as "treatments." ...The FDA does not require stringent testing as proof a nnalert is effective. ....However, the FDA regulates medicines marketed as "treatments" much more closely.

There is one supplement that has been proven to be very helpful to those with Lyme Disease, One has to follow the directions very closely however, if one takes too much of the supplement it will make you very, very sick, the healing reaction is what actually makes one sick. If you have Lyme Disease, a supplement called "Tesal Tincture" is very helpful, although one has to start taking it in very small quantities and build up over time, starting suggested amount is 1 drop 3 times a day, then increment slowly to 3 to 5 drops 3 times a day. I use it for other issues, in larger quantities it works great. It is the only supplement I have seen be of much help with Lyme Disease. Best thing is to make sure you do not allow any ticks to burrow into your skin.

RBoots,
yup, growing up, I never saw a tick. Of course, there weren't many deer around either.

Now, whenever I'm in the fields I spray the heck out of myself with any of the repellants with DEET. It's doggone effective. Before I started doing that a few years ago, I'd get one or 2 on me after spending a few hours in the woods/fields. I also inspect my clothes and shower after I've been brush hogging or working in the woods with my chainsaw. Ticks like to crawl under the collar of shirts or under pant legs. My 2 dogs get the monthly treatment (can't remember which brand the wife puts on them). Daughter lived in Washington DC and got Lyme Disease last year. She had 2 dogs that romped in the woods. She caught it early and never really got sick due to the early detection and treatment.

Wow, have you been hoodwinked by certain media. I am a member of a Lyme support group which has members who got Lyme from the nnalert and have been partially debilitated ever since. This has resulted in loss of jobs for those people. I don't know of anyone who did a lawsuit, but they certainly had good reason to do so.

Myself, I've had Lyme since first hay cutting in 1985 and my life has been greatly affected, but fortunately I have a family who has stood beside me and understands my limitations. Some cases of Lyme might be cured (big maybe) but many have been misdiagnosed as MS or fibromyalgia and given inappropriate treatment.

Do not believe that there is only one kind of tick that can spread this disease. The Lone Star tick has been a proven disease carrier, and there may be others. The resevoir of infection seems to be in mice and other small rodents, so do not bet your life on the deer count thing. The adult ticks may survive the winter by being on the body of a deer or cattle. Birds and waterfowl have been proven tick carriers, accounting for the tremendous spread of the disease.

Avoid ticks, and check your children daily.

Paul in MN

Sorry for your misfortune. Ya there was a class action suit. Lawyers got paid, "victims" got nothing.

Lyme's will kill dogs lost 2 of my Rat Terriers to it despite all the vet did,now at the first sign we put them medication.

Funny you should put this up now--found a tick on my leg this evening--first one I've ever had attached to me, though I've seen plenty while skinning deer and such--Lyme is a problem in NY and has got worse over the last several years. This one appeared to be just attached, as he hadn't started to suck blood yet, but I had a good friend put flat on his back (and he's the sort who would normally work 25 hours a day if he could get the clock to cooperate) for two months by Lyme disease, so I know it's nothing to trifle with.

They are nasty little arachnids, at different times I've been nailed by them numerous times spring and fall, thankfully I have avoided Lyme. Got nailed this spring, thought it could have been on longer than 24 hrs, but re traced my steps, + no reaction or any symptoms..... problem is the testing for Lyme, its not an exact science or medicine by any means. Its enough to terrorize a person though, more so with the new Powassan Virus they carry. Apparently not nearly as common as Lyme disease, you do not want this one just the same. I believe I read somewhere that it does not take as long to transmit this virus in comparison to Lyme disease, meaning you don't have the 24hr grace period. That alone has raised my awareness, though its not common, yet, hope like heck it never is !

I worked with the son of a large masonry company in NYC, he was in Westchester NY in '03 or so and contracted some tick borne illness that put him in the hospital, he was out of work for awhile. A friends wife had one bore in at the top of her skull, she went through all kinds of grief with this and it took well over a year to make progress, don't know what that was, these darned things are dangerous for sure!

Pyrethrin can be applied to your clothing,it kills them actually and it will last several washings and so on, but don't use it in on your skin, just the clothing. Commonly available too.

One has to be diligent at checking for ticks if at risk, I've gotten them without being in the brush, vegetation, tall grass or game trail, darned things lurk in places you would not suspect.

I never saw deer around here as a kid, never saw a tick on any dog or livestock ever in those days. There is a direct relationship between the deer and the fields that have overgrown that are forest or thick vegetation now. We never had deer flies near the house, only saw them in the wood lot at the other end of the property. Black flies and gnats were not so prevalent either, mosquitoes yes, but insects are abundant in this lush environment, so are whitetail deer. Still liveable, but don't take chances with ticks, nothing to fool with as I see it, hate the darned sneaky little things !
CDC Powassan Virus

BiilyNY same story here in West Pa. Did not see a deer until age 16 (1951) growing up. Never heard or saw ticks; neither did my Dad. Now just the opposite. 5 or 6 bites so far this spring in the immediate family. We keep the little "Tick Twisters" tool at home , in the car and at the cabin.

Certainly is different today, I've been tested for lyme, had been ill 2 years ago. My doctor, she was thorough and very helpful, it was something else. It was in november and I was literally sweating bullets when I arrived at their nearby practice. I had to consider Lyme though. Apparently, early on it can be defeated, just don't let it go. Friend had it, fully recovered, was not so well for awhile. It sure makes you leary of these things at times, the latest POW virus just escalates ones cautiousness, hope it is as uncommon as has been stated in articles.

Seen ticks left by my cat on furniture AND ME. Put a fea & tick collar on him. Wonder if it'll do any good.