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Gearing up for Lyme disease

Hudson-Catskill Newspapers

COLUMBIA COUNTY — Summer in Columbia County means Lyme disease prevention, as the county leads the state in newly diagnosed cases, according to Public Health Nurse Paul Philippe of the Columbia County Health Department.

Other area agencies are also gearing up to provide information on the season of the tick including Cornell Cooperative Extension of Greene County, who hosted an adult learning program at Columbia-Greene Community College, lead by Rick Burstell, program educator.

Burstell began the program by showing the audience a slide show of ticks in all stages of life: egg, larvae, nymph and adult. He noted that most people contract Lyme disease from the deer tick nymph, whose activity peaks in shorts and T-shirt weather, namely June and July. Burstell cautioned that ticks are not only active in the summer but all seasons.

“They are feeding for 12 months if the weather is above 36-38 degrees,” he said.

Not all deer ticks carry Lyme disease. Those that do became infected from small mammals who carry the bacteria, borrelia burgdorferi. Hosts include the American robin, meadow vole, short-tailed shrew, house wren and the white-footed mouse.

Deer can carry the ticks from location to location and are a large part of the spread of the disease.

“Part of the problem with deer is that they are very familiar with us; they love to come right into our yards,” Burstell said.

The disease can be spread to humans when a tick bites a person and latches on for a specific amount of time, usually anywhere from 36 to 48 hours.

“In order for you to get Lyme disease, you have to be bitten by an infected deer tick and the deer tick has to stay attached to you for a certain amount of time,” Burstell said.

He explained that when a tick feeds on an infected animal, the bacteria will stay imbedded in the tick until the temperature of the tick rises from attaching itself to a warm-blooded mammal. The bacteria then warms and becomes mobile, beginning its “journey from mid-gut to salvia glands” which takes upwards of 36 hours.

“If it wasn’t that way, than every time you got bitten, then you would be infected,” Burstell noted.

Ticks can be found anywhere on the body, including the groin, armpits, and behind the ears. Burstell noted that many ticks can be found between the neck and knee.

If a tick is spotted the best way to remove it is with pointed tweezers, according to the New York State Department of Health. The tick should be grasped by its head or mouth parts where it enters the skin. Pull firmly outward with no twisting motions. Rubbing alcohol should be used to kill the tick; simply place in into small container of the fluid. Cleanse the bite with rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. Hot matches, gasoline, petroleum jelly or kerosene should never be used to remove ticks.

The bite should be watched for a month in order to monitor the occurrence of a circular rash, which is usually the first sign of infection. The rash, called erythema migrans, appears in 60 to 80 percent of cases. The distinct bulls-eye appearance comes as the rash gradually expands over several days to weeks, with the center of the rash being clear.

In dark skinned people the rash may be seen as a bruise or a dark patch. More often than not individuals will not see the tick that bite them. Laboratory tests are usually not recommended if the individual has erythema migrans.

Early stages of Lyme disease may also include: chills, fatigue, headaches, aches and swollen lymph glands. Untreated the symptoms can worsen into severe headaches, shooting pains, stiff neck, Bell’s palsy or loss of muscle tone on one or both sides of the face, heart palpitations and even neurological and cardiac problems.

Burstell has had two bouts with Lyme disease.

“If you have flu symptoms in the summer and you live in the Hudson Valley, Lyme disease should be [a consideration].”

Lyme disease can usually be cured with antibiotics, especially of the disease is caught early. However, since the disease’s symptoms can mimic many other diseases it can be hard to detect.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, “a small percentage of patients with Lyme disease have symptoms that last months to years after treatment with antibiotics. These symptoms can include muscle and joint pains, arthritis, cognitive defects, sleep disturbance, or fatigue.” This may be because of a person’s immune system still responding even after the infection has been eradicated.

To decrease your chances of being bitten by a tick avoid grassy and shrubby areas. If you must go into those areas, wear light colored long pants and long sleeves to make spotting a tick easier. Tuck you shirt into your pants and your pants into your socks. Brush off any ticks found on clothing.

Perform a tick check after being outdoors; inspect your whole body, including your scalp.

The CDC recommends using a repellent with 20 to 30 percent DEET on exposed skin and clothing. According to the state Health Department use caution when applying DEET. In general, the higher the concentration, the longer the duration of protection, but the risk of negative health effects also increases. Health officials recommend using the lowest concentrations for the amount of time that you will be outdoors.

Health officials also suggest reading directions carefully and never spray directly on children; apply with your own hands. Don’t apply repellent near the eyes, nose or mouth and avoid prolonged or excessive use.

Burstell noted that a large number of the tick population can be removed when leaf litter is cleaned up. In addition keep lawns mowed, place children’s play equipment in a sunny location away from wooded area and stack woodpiles away from the house.

For more information on Lyme disease visit, www.cdc.gov or http://www.columbiacountyny.com/depts/health/

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