Tick Test Kit for Lyme Disease

[nightshade]

May to October those Ticks are lying in wait for you, 10% of Tick bites can result in Lyme disease, there is now a kit for a self diagnosis in 20 minutes.
Tick test will be on sale in outdoor stores or online from The Travel Health Store - Insect repellents, mosquito nets, first aid, tilley hats, anti tick , bugsox & travel hygiene

[The Woodman]

Believe me, they were very active in March and an almost daily event in removal from the dogs!

A timely prompt, nightshade, as I understand one of the attendees at the Leighton Moss meet found one crawling over his skin! I won't mention the subsequent reaction.

[pressld2]

And two days after getting home, another Leighton Moss attendee found one in between the second and third fingers of his right hand. Perhaps a trip to the GP is in order?

Dave P.

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by pressld2

And two days after getting home, another Leighton Moss attendee found one in between the second and third fingers of his right hand. Perhaps a trip to the GP is in order?

Dave P.

I would certainly go to my GP, the reaction may be slight bewilderment, but what the hey? I went to see my GP, who I find a very competent and sympathetic person, and did get a blood test taken. The tick problem had not crossed their mind before, but as I pointed out the local city was hosting a conference on just that problem at the time. Incidentally, I usually consult my GP about once every 5 years.

[pressld2]

Just been reading up on Lyme disease and it can take between two and eight weeks from bite to anti-bodies appearing so I'll wait a few weeks and then ask for a blood test. The Wikipedia article says "if a tick is attached for less than 24 hours, infection is unlikely". I'm pretty sure that mine was as although they're very tiny it was in quite an obvious place.

Might ask about vaccination while I'm there - prevention is better than cure.

Dave P.

[earthdragon64]

Originally Posted by pressld2

Just been reading up on Lyme disease and it can take between two and eight weeks from bite to anti-bodies appearing so I'll wait a few weeks and then ask for a blood test. The Wikipedia article says "if a tick is attached for less than 24 hours, infection is unlikely". I'm pretty sure that mine was as although they're very tiny it was in quite an obvious place.

Might ask about vaccination while I'm there - prevention is better than cure.

Dave P.

If you get any reaction at or near the bite area, get to your GP PDQ. My husband got Lyme disease last year, but got on the antibiotics pretty quickly after a rash appeared. He got over it quite quickly, with his only symptoms being tiredness, which could have been due to the antibiotics as well as, or instead of the Lyme disease.

AFAIK there is no vaccination, although I'm happy to be corrected on that. I'd be vaccinated if at all possible, as I'm allergic to most antibiotics, particularly the main ones used to treat Lyme disease.

Regards, Audrey.

[SheffieldLass]

Originally Posted by earthdragon64

If you get any reaction at or near the bite area, get to your GP PDQ. My husband got Lyme disease last year, but got on the antibiotics pretty quickly after a rash appeared. He got over it quite quickly, with his only symptoms being tiredness, which could have been due to the antibiotics as well as, or instead of the Lyme disease.

AFAIK there is no vaccination, although I'm happy to be corrected on that. I'd be vaccinated if at all possible, as I'm allergic to most antibiotics, particularly the main ones used to treat Lyme disease.

Regards, Audrey.

The vaccination is for tick borne encephalitis, not Lymes. Luckily we don't have tick borne encephalitis yet in Britain, but it is in Europe, mainly Austria and Germany and east of there, so worth getting if you are going to walk in the countryside there, and are at risk of picking up ticks.

And thanks Nightshade for the info on the test kit. I got 2 ticks last year and they are rather too common in the woods here, so I am at risk at getting more. So I'll check out the test kit.

[Matt Smith]

Prophylactic treatment for Lyme disease is the same as the "cure" if you find yourself with a rash after a tick bite. Just go to the GP and ask for a 10 day course of one of the more powerful antibiotics - thats it. I did this after picked up about 30 ticks in the New Forest 1 time. The GP advice comes from my sister - a GP.

[Brocakat]

Originally Posted by nightshade

May to October those Ticks are lying in wait for you, 10% of Tick bites can result in Lyme disease, there is now a kit for a self diagnosis in 20 minutes.
Tick test will be on sale in outdoor stores or online from The Travel Health Store - Insect repellents, mosquito nets, first aid, tilley hats, anti tick , bugsox & travel hygiene

Just to write that I was bitten over the weekend - so they are active now, in late April. ( I appreciate that it's been a higher than average temperature for this time of year - maybe that's something to do with them being around so early ? )

[SheffieldLass]

Anyone tried these test kits yet?

Having had 4 tick bites within the last month, 3 within the last week, despite being very careful about covering up, wearing gaiters, checking over my clothes carefully, I think I'll give it a try. I've got all 4 ticks in a pot, so can do them all at one go.

Two local friends have had tick bites turn nasty within the last fortnight too - they had to get the heavy duty antibiotic treatment for them. It seems to be a bad year for ticks here in the North York Moors area. Maybe the month or so of rain we've had and resultant very lush vegetation is providing ideal conditions for them.

So I'm now off to check the local outdoor shops for the test kit. If not available there, the cheapest I've seen online is £8.99 with free delivery from the Travel Health Store.

If anyone knows how to look at fungi or plants (and try to id them) without coming into contact with vegetation, please let me know . I'm not sure how effective insect repellant is - I had it on my hands and wrists yesterday, but still a tick managed to get up the sleeve of my jacket and into my jumper, and then onto me.

There are now clothes that are supposed to have insect repellant in them ... anyone tried them? And is it wise to have these clothes next to the skin on a frequent basis?