Ticks and Lyme disease

[Irelander]

Well after watching my wife battle Chronic Lyme Disease for about 6 months now, we are doing everything we can to protect our family from tick born diseases. This makes going outside to play in the yard a major event and really sucks the fun out of every outdoor activity. We are thinking of moving out of Lyme Disease ground zero (PA) and heading out west where exposure to ticks at least looks better than here according to the CDC's Reported Cases of Lyme Disease. Just wondering if others here in other parts of the US have experience with ticks and can comment on the level interaction with ticks while recreating in the wilderness. It is common to pick 20 or 30 ticks off your clothing after waling through the woods in my area. Pretty much everyone I know has been affected by Lyme disease or other tick born co-infection. I'd love to hear that it's not this bad in other parts of the US.

[spinmove_]

Personally don't know anyone in my neck of the woods (Michigan), but I have heard that tick borne illnesses are on the rise here.


Sent from mah smertfone using tapathingy

[Peally]

They're here too, I'll pick one or two off of me and the dog if we're outside having fun for a decent amount of time. 20-30 is about 20-30x more than what I'll experience and they're considered common here.


Ticks are useless creatures and I wouldn't think twice about them going extinct tomorrow.

[StraitR]

My one and only impression of Lyme Disease come from a book; West of Jesus: Surfing, Science, and the Origins of Belief by Steven Kouter. Steven battled LD for two years, the experience completely changing the path of his life, and that new path is chronicled in the book. It was incredible, the affects of LD. I had no idea.

I can't blame you for wanting to move, as if it were me and my family, I'd likely do the same. I thought the effected area was much greater than the CDC map, so I'm hoping it's accurate. Prayers for a full and speedy recovery for your wife, Irelander.

[JV_]

Tick are prolific in Virginia as well.

I like to mountain bike. It's not uncommon for mountain bikers to shave their legs to help with tick issues. It gives the ticks less to grab on to as you pass by brush.

[Poconnor]

I get my yard sprayed every spring because of ticks. I have multiple bird feeders because I like to watch them and I hope the birds eat the ticks. I have noticed I don't get any weeds around my bird feeders. I think the birds are eating any seed on the ground. My neighbors have free range chickens and are talking about getting guinea fowl

[StraitR]

Useful info...

Ticks - CDC

- How to avoid
- Where they live
- How to remove
- Preventing bites
- Symptoms

And lot's of additional links and papers on the CDC Tick page.

Geographic distribution of ticks that bite humans - CDC

Example of map by species...

[voodoo_man]

I spray my yard every time after mowing, so every two-to-three weeks, with tick-specific bug killer.

[nycnoob]

Useful info...

Ticks - CDC

- How to avoid
- Where they live
- How to remove
- Preventing bites
- Symptoms

While I had heard of DEET I did not know about permethrin till this year.
Also it would be a good idea to keep some tweezers in a range bag for tick removal.

Repel Ticks on Skin and Clothing

• Use repellent that contains 20 percent or more DEET, picaridin, or IR3535 on exposed skin for protection that lasts several hours.
  
  • Always follow product instructions. Parents should apply this product to their children, avoiding hands, eyes, and mouth.
  
  
• Use products that contain permethrin on clothing. Treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks and tents with products containing 0.5% permethrin. It remains protective through several washings. Pre-treated clothing is available and may be protective longer.
• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has an online tool to help you select the repellent that is best for you and your family.

[Irelander]

I will probably be getting guinea hens this summer as I have read numerous articles about how the basically eliminate ticks in their AO.

I used to think I knew about ticks until my wife got diagnosed and we started doing tons of research. Here are some highlights:

1. Not everyone gets the bulleye rash associated with Lyme (only about 40% do). The rash is a early warning sign and a life saver. My wife never had the rash.
2. Once you are bitten it only takes around 10 minutes for you to be infected.
3. If you catch Lyme in the early stages of infection then the recommended treatment of antibiotics will take care of it.
4. If you don't catch it early then you are screwed.
5. Lyme Borreliosis is the toughest, trickiest, and down right evil bacteria I have ever heard of. It may not kill you, but it will ruin your life.
6. Not only ticks carry Lyme, so can fleas, mosquitoes, spiders, chiggers, mites and many other small biting insects.
7. Lyme can be sexually transmitted. Oh boy!
8. The majority of general physicians have no clue about Lyme disease. It is not understood by the vast majority of the medical community.
9. The Lyme titre test is terribly unreliable with tons of false negatives. The Western blot with bands test is more reliable but most labs won't do it unless the titre comes back positive.
10. Stephen H. Buhner is THE MAN on Lyme.
ETA: 11. If you are bitten by a tick, go start the antibiotics. You can send the tick away to be tested. If it comes back positive for Lyme then you are already killing it. If it comes back negative for Lyme then you can stop the antibiotics. Better safe than sorry.

Lord help us!