Spring
tick season means increased risk of lyme disease, experts warn
The Ukiah Daily Journal
Ukiah, CA
by Lean Lambert
13 Apr 2004
Spring tick season
means increased risk of Lyme disease, experts warn. Local Lyme activist
to give presentation in Ukiah Special for the Journal. “The height
of the most dangerous tick season is just ahead,” according to Phyllis
Mervine, Ukiah resident and president of the California Lyme Disease Association
(CALDA). While most people recognize the adult form of the ticks that
carry Lyme disease, many are unaware of the tiny nymphal form, about the
size of a poppy seed.
“Nymphs hatch
out in the late spring,” Mervine explained. “They are common
in leaf litter under deciduous trees, and anywhere mice are numerous.”
Many cases of Lyme disease are diagnosed a few weeks after the nymphal
tick season. Half the people who come down with it do not recall a tick
bite but complain of a flu-like illness with fever, headache, swollen
glands and aching muscles. “Prompt treatment can prevent future problems
from developing,” Mervine added.
New research by UC
Berkeley entomologist Robert Lane, Ph.D., proves that nymphal ticks can
be picked up in wooded areas if people sit on downed logs or gather firewood.
Campers, picnickers, or foresters may be at particular risk. Nymphs also
climb several feet up tree trucks, mostly on the north side, so turkey
hunters or others who crouch and lean against a tree could be putting
themselves in harm’s way.
In the recently-published
article in the Journal of Medical Entomology, Lane and his colleagues
describe suiting themselves up, taping socks to pant legs, gloves to sleeves,
and then picking ticks off each other after engaging in a variety of risky
activities. Even their frequent tick checks and careful scrutiny failed
to prevent tick bites. One researcher found two engorged nymphs feeding
on himself several days after the field work was completed. Mervine said
the lesson is that people should continue to check themselves and their
children for the tiny ticks for several days after exposure in tick-infested
habitat.
Undiagnosed and untreated
Lyme disease continues to be a significant problem in Mendocino County,
according to Mervine. People may be misdiagnosed with chronic fatigue,
multiple sclerosis, Fibromyalgia, ALS, or even psychiatric diseases. “Neurologic
effects are some of the most serious,” said Mervine, “and it
is tragic when a person lives for years with a disease that could have
been cured, if only it had been diagnosed properly and treated promptly.”
CALDA has just endorsed the newly-published evidence-based guidelines
for the management of Lyme disease, published by the International Lyme
and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS). In contrast to previous guidelines,
the new ILADS guidelines acknowledge persistent and recurrent Lyme disease
and Lyme disease that does not respond to treatment, and proposes new
approaches to both diagnosis and treatment. The guidelines may be ordered
through the ILADS Web site, www.ilads.org. CALDA
is distributing some copies to area physicians.
“CALDA’s
mission is to educate the public about how to avoid Lyme disease and other
tick-borne infections,” said Mervine, “and to inform health
care professionals about how to diagnose and treat. The more educated
people are, the better able they will be to work with their healthcare
providers and make sure they are getting the most up-to-date and scientifically-sound
care.
Mervine will be presenting
a slide show, talk, and question and answer session at the Ukiah Civic
Center auditorium on Tuesday, April 20, from 7 to 9 p.m. The public is
invited. A $5 donation will be requested to cover the cost of the facility.
For more information, call (707) 468-8460. For information about Lyme
disease, go to the CALDA Web site at www.lymedisease.org.
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