Love Spring Weather? Ticks Do, Too

Game Commission urges outdoors enthusiasts to take precautions to prevent Lyme disease.

           A gorgeous spring day simply shouldn't be wasted indoors.

           But enjoying the state’s scenic beauty and plethora of outdoor recreational opportunities comes with its risks.
           Pennsylvania leads the nation in confirmed cases of Lyme disease, a tick-borne illness that poses a serious human health risk that is heightened for those who spend more time outdoors.|
           So when heading outside to enjoy those perfect days, outdoors enthusiasts should remember that taking a few simple precautions can greatly reduce the risk of picking up ticks that might carry Lyme disease.
About Lyme disease           Lyme disease is a chronic illness transmitted through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick, also known as a deer tick. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, muscle aches and joint pain, and in about 85 percent of cases, a bull’s-eye rash will appear around the bite.
           When detected early, Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics. Left untreated, the disease can spread to the joints, heart and nervous system.
           Early diagnosis is important in preventing late-stage complications. Classic signs of untreated cases can include migratory pain or arthritis, impaired motor and sensory skills and an enlarged heart.
           Pennsylvania has led the nation in confirmed cases of Lyme disease for three straight years. While Lyme disease has been found in each of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, the highest incidence of the disease is in the southeastern part of the state.
           The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 4,981 cases of Lyme disease in Pennsylvania in 2013, the most recent year for which data is available. That’s an increase from the 4,146 cases confirmed in the Commonwealth in 2012, but still lower than the 4,739 confirmed cases in 2011.
           The Pennsylvania Department of Health recently launched “Don’t Let a Tick Make You Sick,” a campaign aimed at raising Lyme-disease awareness in the Commonwealth.

 Avoiding ticks

Hunters, hikers, anglers and others spending time outdoors are among the most likely to pick up the ticks that carry Lyme disease because they spend hours upon hours in the state’s fields and forest.

Most pick up ticks by brushing against vegetation, or by sitting in one position for lengthy periods.

Hunters and trappers who handle game also are susceptible.

People can reduce their risk of contracting Lyme disease by using insect repellent, preferably one containing DEET, and using it as directed by the manufacturer. Tick repellent or repelling collars also are important for pets. Dogs can contract Lyme disease, and all pets can carry ticks indoors where they might come in contact with you.

Tucking in your shirt, tucking your pants legs into your socks, or wearing pants with leg tie-offs improve the chances a tick won’t be able to make it onto your body in the first place.

Long pants and long-sleeved shirts do a better job of sealing out ticks, and ticks can be spotted more easily on light-colored clothing.

Another strategy is to avoid contact with the dense bushes and tall grass that are among the places where ticks live.

 

Checking for and removing ticks

Because ticks can live just about anywhere, and like to latch onto people and pets, everyone who spends time outdoors should check themselves for ticks once back inside. Children who have been playing outside should be checked for ticks by their parents or guardians.

Store clothes worn outdoors in a container until they can be washed to reduce the chances a tick will get loose in the house. Use a mirror in inspecting yourself for ticks. Ticks like tight places, and often are found in the armpits and along the beltline.

Taking a hot shower within two hours of returning from the field also can have a big impact on decreasing Lyme disease risk, and could even prevent transmission.

If you find a tick on your body, or on a child or pet, it’s recommended the tick be removed carefully with a set of fine-tipped tweezers. Removing ticks with your bare hands should be avoided, and when using tweezers, you can protect your fingers with a tissue, paper towel, or medical gloves.

Grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible and pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don't twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin.

If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.

After removing the tick, thoroughly disinfect the bite and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.

Avoid folklore remedies such as "painting" the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly, or using heat to make the tick detach from the skin. Your goal is to remove the tick as quickly as possible – not waiting for it to detach.

Anyone bitten by a tick should watch the area where the tick was attached for the next month or so. If a rash develops at the site from which the tick was removed, or elsewhere on the body, consult a physician.

 

Deer and deer ticks

While the blacklegged tick also is called the deer tick, and adult female blacklegged ticks feed preferentially on deer in autumn to build up energy to lay eggs, deer are dead-end hosts for the Lyme disease bacteria.

They do not infect ticks with the bacteria that cause Lyme disease nor do they contract the disease when an infected tick feeds on them. They play no direct role in the transmission cycle.

White-footed mice and chipmunks are the primary reservoirs for Lyme disease transmission, and many wild birds and mammals in North America have been found with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Domestic animals including dogs, cats, cattle and horses also can become infected.

The blacklegged tick is the primary vector for Lyme disease, but other tick species and biting insects such as mosquitoes, deer flies and horse flies also can carry the bacteria, though it remains unclear how readily they transmit the bacteria to new hosts.

While deer do not transmit the disease, they still might carry infected ticks, and landowners can take a few precautions to help keep deer and ticks away from homes.

Ticks can be discouraged through yardwork to maintain vegetation around homes, and homeowners can help keep deer from their yards by not feeding them, constructing physical barriers to discourage them or putting in deer-resistant plants.

Bait boxes that treat wild rodents with acaricide, an insecticide that kills ticks, also are available for home use. Properly used, these boxes have been shown to reduce ticks around homes by more than 50 percent. The treatment is similar to control fleas and ticks on pets.

 

How the Game Commission is helping

Each year, the Game Commission uses controlled burns to improve wildlife habitat on state game lands throughout Pennsylvania. More than 5,000 acres under the Game Commission’s control were treated with this method in 2014.

While fire is prescribed to regenerate grasses and restore young forests, another benefit is the effective immediate removal of ticks from the areas that are burned.

A study by the Game Commission on one tract of state game lands showed an 88 percent reduction in the blacklegged tick population following prescribed fire, and the population remained lower there in the few years following the burn.

Because prescribed fire is a productive and cost-effective tool for managing wildlife habitat, the Game Commission will continue with burns at additional tracts each year. 

“Springtime in Pennsylvania is a thing of beauty, and there are plenty of chances to get out there and enjoy it in any number of ways,” said Game Commission Executive Director R. Matthew Hough. “Our nearly 1.5 million-acre system of state game lands and the about 2.2 million acres of private land managed by the Game Commission offer some of the best hunting, fishing and hiking opportunities available in the Commonwealth. But it’s important those who enjoy the beauty of Penn’s Woods also remain aware of the Lyme-disease risks associated with spending time outdoors.

“Take the time to take precautions that prevent ticks from hitching a ride home, and always thoroughly check for ticks when you return from the outdoors,” Hough said. “By following these few simple steps, you can help to ensure that the rest of your days afield will be enjoyable.”

Lyme Disease Infects 300,000 A Year, CDC Says

Maggie Fox NBC News

Lyme disease is a “tremendous” public health problem, infecting 10 times more Americans than reports have suggested, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.
New estimates suggest that 300,000 people are infected with the tickborne illness every year.

“This new preliminary estimate confirms that Lyme disease is a tremendous public health problem in the United States, and clearly highlights the urgent need for prevention,” says Dr. Paul Mead, chief of epidemiology and surveillance for CDC’s Lyme disease program, based in Ft Collins, Colo.

“We know that routine surveillance only gives us part of the picture, and that the true number of illnesses is much greater,” Mead added in a statement.

Lyme disease is caused by bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi, carried by blacklegged ticks. Infection causes fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. The infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system if it’s not treated.

More than 300,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported to CDC every year, making it the most commonly reported tick-borne illness in the United States, the CDC says. But some reports have suggested it is far more common than that.

Mead and colleagues looked at several sources, including medical billing records of 22 million people, a 2008 survey of laboratories processing blood tests and a survey of patients asking if they ever had Lyme disease. Taken together, the data indicate that 300,000 Americans are diagnosed with Lyme disease every year, Mead’s team told the International Conference on Lyme Borreliosis and other Tick Borne Diseases being held in Boston this week.

“Not everyone diagnosed or treated for Lyme disease is necessarily infected with Borrelia burgdorferi,” they wrote in a summary submitted to the conference. “Nevertheless, these results are consistent with earlier estimates that Lyme disease cases are underreported by a factor of three- to 12-fold.”

Treatment can be as simple as a single dose of the antibiotic doxycycline or it can involve a three-week to one-month course of antibiotics, depending on how long it takes to diagnose after infection. Infectious disease experts disagree on whether longer courses of treatment are helpful. Up to 20 percent of patients have long-term symptoms, the CDC says.

Lyme disease is most common in the Northeast and Midwest but cases have been reported from all 50 states. It has a complex life cycle involving mice and deer, and it’s usually the small, immature ticks, found on rodents, that are to blame for infecting people.

“That’s why it’s important to carefully check your body and clothing for ticks after being outdoors in woody and grassy areas. If you see a tick, you can lessen the chance of infection by removing it from your body early, even if it’s already begun to feed,” the National Institutes of Health advises.

There used to be a vaccine, but its maker stopped manufacturing it because too few people asked for it. The CDC recommends using an insect repellent that contains DEET, careful checking for ticks after being outdoors, and staying out of bushy, wooded areas.

“We know people can prevent tick bites through steps like using repellents and tick checks. Although these measures are effective, they aren’t fail-proof and people don’t always use them,” the CDC’s Dr. Lyle Petersen said in a statement. “We need to move to a broader approach to tick reduction, involving entire communities, to combat this public health problem.”

This might include killing ticks in back yards, control of rodents that carry the Lyme disease bacteria, and suburban planning involving deer and their interaction with people. Deer carry adult ticks that can carry the disease.

Ticks, Lyme disease warrant caution but not panic during summer

Bob Frye, Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Dr. William Hope (left) visits with Brandon Kniha, of
North Huntingdon, and his dog Cole on July 5, 2013, at
Hope Veterinary Hospital in West Newton.

These are different times for William Hope.

A veterinarian at Hope Veterinary Clinic in West Newton, he has seen new technologies become a part of medicine, new vaccines hit the market and new generations of patients. But it's something else that really stands out.

That's the prevalence of ticks.

“When I started this practice I never saw a tick,” said Hope, who began his career in the 1970s. “I didn't know a dog tick from a deer tick. I didn't have to play with them then.

“Now, literally, I see them almost every day.” Especially at this time of year. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the months of April through July are prime time for ticks in the nymphal stage to look for new hosts — i.e. you and your hunting dog — to latch on to.

Whether that's just irritating or something worse can vary.

Some ticks, though not all, carry Lyme disease, an inflammatory disease that most typically causes a bull's-eye rash that's followed by fevers, chills, headaches, muscle aches and joint pain. Get bit by a tick that latches on to your skin and goes undetected for a period of two days or so, and you can contract Lyme disease.

Bull's Eye rash from Lyme Disease

About 20,000 to 30,000 people contract the disease annually, according to the National Centers for Disease Control. Confirmed cases of Lyme have ranged from a low of 19,804 in 2004 to a high of 29,959 in 2009.

About 96 percent of all cases nationally were confined to 13 states in 2011. Pennsylvania was one of those, and actually had the most cases, with 4,739.

A couple of southeastern Pennsylvania counties are worst for the disease. Chester, Bucks and Montgomery counties had 759, 586 and 415, respectively, in 2011, the most recent year for which final statistics are available.

Locally, the disease appears in a hit-and-miss, almost random way.

There were 52 cases of Lyme disease in Armstrong County in 2009, according to the Department of Health. That rose to 73 cases in 2010 and 146 in 2011. In Butler County, cases totaled 189 in 2009, dropped to 152 in 2010 and rose to 224 in 2011.

In Indiana cases have gone from 19 to 34 to 78, and in Westmoreland from 13 to 15 to 44, over that same time.

In Allegheny County, though, the number of cases has actually gone down over time, from 27 in 2009 to 18 in 2010 to fewer than three last year. Neither Somerset nor Fayette counties have ever had more than four cases reported in a year's time. Greene County hasn't had a single reported case in the last three years.

“It can vary from even valley to valley in my experience,” Hope said. “Ticks might be bad in Sutersville but not in West Newton. They might be bad in Donora but not in Webster.”

Of course, none of that matters if you're the one person to contract Lyme, or if your favorite hunting dog gets it.

That's why “prevention is key,” said Kait Gillis, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

“As the weather becomes nicer, residents spend more time outdoors and don't wear layers and layers of clothing — leaving them open to be being bitten by an infected tick,” she said.

Outdoors people — hunters, anglers, hikers, campers and the like — are among the highest risk groups for getting bitten by a tick and contracting Lyme, simply because of where they go to play.

But that doesn't mean you should be afraid to go outside, or worry incessantly while outdoors, said Phillip Baker, executive director of the American Lyme Disease Foundation.

“If you go into the outdoors a lot, it is something to consider. But there's no need to panic,” Baker said.

Even if you do get bitten by an infected tick, it has to remain attached to you for 36 to 48 hours to spread the disease, he said.

“It's not like if you don't get the tick out right away all is lost. Forget that,” Baker said.

If caught in its early stages, the disease is easily combated with oral antibiotics, he added.

Still, it makes sense to minimize your risk when outdoors. Apply repellents with DEET — the same kind you would use to keep mosquitoes at bay — to your skin when going outside, Baker said. Spray products containing permethrin on your clothes. Wear long sleeves and pants.

Do a full-body check to look for ticks after a day afield, Gillis added.

Do all those things, but don't shy away from getting outdoors because of fear about ticks.

“There's a lot of hysteria out there, a lot of hooey,” Baker said. “But people who live in areas with a lot of Lyme disease still do just fine.”

2013 Could Be A Big Year For Lyme Disease In Western Pennsylvania

By Scott Shalaway, Pittsburgh Post Gazette

If personal experience and reader reports are reliable indicators, this summer could be a bad one for ticks and Lyme disease in Western Pennsylvania. Since early April, I've removed countless ticks from my clothing. Likewise, I've heard from many readers since late winter who have returned from hunting trips with dogs covered with ticks.
Effective tick prevention medications for dogs are readily available from veterinarians. I can't remember the last time I removed an attached tick from my dog.
We humans, on the other hand, must be more proactive and check for ticks after every outdoor adventure. Fortunately, blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis, formerly called deer ticks) must be attached for at least 24 to 48 hours for the Lyme disease bacterium (Borrelia burgdorferi) to be transmitted.

According to the New England Journal of Medicine, Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. In 2011, there were 4,739 confirmed cases in Pennsylvania and 24,364 nationwide. Though Lyme disease can be prevented by vaccination, it is prohibitively expensive and less than 100 percent effective.
The best treatment for Lyme disease is prevention. Avoid tall grass and dense woody vegetation. Wear a 20 to 30 percent DEET-based repellent on clothes and exposed skin. Or wear clothing treated with long-lasting tick repellents. Tuck pant legs into socks and wrap in duct tape. Do frequent tick checks, even while in your own backyard.
If you find an attached tick, here's advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov). Do not squeeze the tick and pull it out with your fingers. This will only force possibly contaminated blood into the bite site.
Instead, use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin's surface as possible. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. If the mouthparts break off, remove them with the tweezers.
Then clean the area with rubbing alcohol and soap and water.
If a few days later, you find a telltale bull's-eye rash or develop symptoms such as chills, fever, headache, achy muscles, swollen lymph nodes and/or fatigue, see a physician.

Western Pennsylvania Has Seen A Spike In Lyme Disease Cases In Both People And Dogs

By Rick Wills, Pittsburgh Tribune Review

In the six years he's worked as a veterinarian in Butler County, Dr. Hisham Ibrahim has

treated 63 dogs that tested positive for Lyme disease.

When Ibrahim practiced in the South Hills from 1999 to 2007, he encountered about two dogs each year with the disease.

“We have had very high numbers of Lyme disease in the past five years or so. It's a new development,” said Ibrahim.

Lyme disease, which is carried by deer ticks, can be treated with antibiotics and other medications to control joint pain and other symptoms such as fever, chills and body aches.

Humans are unlikely to get the disease from dogs unless they try to remove an engorged tick from the animal, Ibrahim said.

The spike of Lyme disease in dogs is mirrored in the number of people in Butler County who have contracted the disease.

In 2011, the last year for which figures are available, 93 Butler County residents were reported to have contracted the disease, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The county has about 185,000 residents.

In Allegheny County, which has 1.22 million residents, there were 58 cases of Lyme disease in 2011. Westmoreland County reported 12 cases that year.

Numbers from the state show a gradual increase since 2000 in many Western Pennsylvania counties. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2008 broadened the definition of Lyme disease, but numbers were on the rise even before then.

The range of the tick that carries Lyme disease is expanding, said Richard Ostfeld, an disease ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, N.Y.

“Western Pennsylvania and Western New York have seen a sharp increase in cases of Lyme disease,” he said.

The deer tick flourishes in forests, not in the heavily agricultural areas in the Midwest. In 2011, 96 percent of Lyme disease cases were reported from 13 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

The disease was first identified in Lyme, Conn., in the early 1970s, when a mysterious series of rheumatoid arthritis cases occurred among children there.

The prevalence of the disease is linked to increasing populations of deer and mice, Ostfeld said.

It is also linked to the acorn crops from oak trees that are common in forests in the Northeast and Midwest, he said.

“This year, ticks might not be as bad. Acorns vary year to year quite a bit. Last fall was a total bust for acorns. They have crashed in numbers,” he said.