ticks

[blackdown]

Does anyone know why ticks are now carrying Lyme Disease which was previously rare and scarcely heard of, and now appears to have reached epidemic proportions?

[Fourwings]

Originally Posted by blackdown

Does anyone know why ticks are now carrying Lyme Disease which was previously rare and scarcely heard of, and now appears to have reached epidemic proportions?

Ticks have always carried Lyme disease, it was more a case of it being either mis-diagnosed or completely over-looked in the past, it's only recent work and publicity that has focused attention on it more.
GP's and hospitals have always been aware of Lymes disease and how to diagnose/treat it in the areas where the disease is more common.

It is far from being an epidemic though, the disease is far more common in some areas than others ie.. The New Forest, Thetford chase/forest & the Inverness area of the Scottish Highlands, areas where Deer frequent are always most at risk as the Deer tick is the main host of Lymes.
It does exist in other areas but it is far from common so people should not be put off from venturing into wild areas, just take sensible precautions when out in long grass/braken etc...
wear good sensible foot wear, long trousers not shorts and always check yourself for ticks when you return home, they are not always easy to see and have a nasty habit of heading for some quite personal areas of the body, so remember to check yourself thoroughly.

The main thing is not to worry, if the areas that you are visiting do not contain Deer and you take the simple precautions above then the risk of getting a tick bite and contracting Lymes is absolutely minimal.

[nightshade]

I get quite paranoid about Ticks,I wear gaiters with long trousers
and long sleeved shirts (button up) where there are Deer,Bracken,
long grass.
The only ticks I ever had a problem with though were on a rugby field
that had been grazed by sheep only an hour beforehand
Downloads - Bada-uk

[Wild Times]

I heard, that a study of countryside workers(gamekeepers,beaters etc), back in the 80s, showed that over 60% of the had been exposed to lymes disease at somepoint in the past but had remained, up until that point, largely unaffected by any symptoms.

I was tested about 7 years ago for Lymes disease, but the results were inconclusive.
Not sure what that means but it was only about 4 yrs after having had symptoms that could have been related .

I think Lymes disease has always been there, but now more people are inclined to be in places they are likely to pick the ticks up.

Please remember never to burn or rub cream etc over any ticks you find attached as it encourages them to empty the contents of their stomachs (straight into you) I believe that the risk of infection is very low if you remove any ticks carefully within a few hours of them having latched on.

[Fourwings]

Whilst we are on the subject of tick removal I'd like to highly recommend this product, it's a tick removal hook called 'O TOM' and if you are unlucky enough to find that you have become host to a tick or two this really is the best way of removing them in a safe way.
It's really made for the removal of ticks from pets but is equally effective on humans, and most importantly it removes the tick cleanly and painlessly, and as it leaves no parts of the tick behind or puts any pressure on the tick, the chance of infection is absolutely minimal.

A link to this product and where it can be obtained is below.

Great Deals on Flea & Tick Protection at Zooplus: O'Tom Tick Hook

[blackdown]

It is very useful to learn that there is a tick removal tool. One of our family has contracted Lyme disease in an deer habitat. When I asked my Dr if I could be tested he seemed unaware of the possibility of actually becoming infected. Blackdown

[nightshade]

I bought my tick removal tool from the local vetinary surgery
it consists of two green plastic levers with vee-slots to unwind
the ticks head/mouthparts
There are several on the market only two of which get good
recommendations

[Hobjob]

Originally Posted by blackdown

It is very useful to learn that there is a tick removal tool. One of our family has contracted Lyme disease in an deer habitat. When I asked my Dr if I could be tested he seemed unaware of the possibility of actually becoming infected. Blackdown

Testing for Lyme disease is a problematic area.

The tests are not "yes / no" even in a a patient with
obvious lyme disease (i.e. the classic rash). The tests
take time to become positive and, as posted above,
many people then have positive tests for years even
if no apparent disease was, or is, ever apparent.

Treatment is also problematic - which anti-biotic and
for how long and in what dose?

In UK no one would treat on the basis of a positive
test alone in the absence of some symptoms - so there
is little point in "routine testing".
(The USA is different - MUCH more common, and different
strains, so be careful not to extrapolate USA advice to
the UK)

Then there is chronic Lyme Disease - another problematic
area - the science is unclear and lots of varied and
strongly held views are to be found on the net.

[demicav]

Ticks give me the creeps.

[blackdown]

We have lived alongside ticks for many years and have experienced daily close encounters during the tick season - it is only recently that we have been made aware that they are a hazard.