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Freezing temps won't deter dangerous ticks

By: Diana Ladden, Special to The Record
10/16/2007

HILLSDALE - Health officials say October marks the start of the high
season for adult deer ticks, because in the fall, nymphs molt into
adult ticks and seek a meal of blood before their dormancy during
cold winter weather.

This raises concerns about Lyme disease infection, as well as the
incidence of another disease that can be transmitted to humans
through tick bites, ehrlichiosis.

"Lyme disease, which is caused by the bite of an infected deer tick,
remains an urgent health concern in New York state, with more than
73,000 confirmed cases reported since 1986, when the disease became
reportable" said state Commissioner of Health Dr. Richard F. Daines
in a recent press release.

In 2006 alone, the department received more than 5,000 reports of
Lyme disease cases statewide.
The state Department of Health reports that in Rensselaer County,
there were a total 479 reported cases from 2002 through 2004.

Mary Fran Wachunas, director of the Rensselaer County Department of
Health said that cases of tick-borne disease were increasing in the
county, as the ticks carrying the illness move northward.
Scientists at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
estimate that 64,382 Lyme cases nationwide were reported between 2003
and 2005, with 59,770 of those cases reported in the 10 most affected
states, which includes New York.

"Just because there is snow on the ground, it doesn't mean that ticks
cease to be a problem," said Dr. Carlene Patterson, a Ghent
veterinarian who is part of the Columbia County Lyme Disease Task
Force.

Ticks do not hibernate. There is a public misconception that they
disappear in cool weather, but ticks are active when the weather
stays above freezing, usually from April through November. Adult
ticks will emerge on warmer days in the winter, and they may attach
themselves to animals or clothing in January and February during a
thaw.

According to Patterson, adult ticks may feed in fall or in warm
weather, in winter and early spring. Nymphs are active from May
through September and are thought to be responsible for about 80
percent of all Lyme disease cases.

Patterson attributes some of the increase in the reported incidence
of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases to increased awareness. She
also sees the destruction of the woodland habitat where predators
that eat ticks or their animal hosts normally live as a contributing
factor.

Ticks can be found in any outdoor location with vegetation, even in
manicured backyards. A pet can also carry them inside. Ticks do not
fly, jump or actively pursue people, like mosquitoes and other
insects. Instead, they attach themselves to people or animals that
brush against them in the grass or shrubbery, said Patterson.

Dr. A. Ramani, an infectious disease specialist at Columbia Memorial
Hospital, is frustrated that people do not take the steps that could
prevent a tick-borne infection more seriously.
"Do not abandon your gardens or the wooded areas, just take the
simple precautions that can prevent infection," he says.

Tick-borne illnesses, like Lyme disease, generally respond to
antibiotics, especially in the early stages.

"Nearly 95 percent of Lyme disease cases are cured within 10 to 28
days with oral antibiotics," said Ramani.

Chronic Lyme disease symptoms may include arthritis, cognitive
losses, tingling or numbness in hands or feet and debilitating
fatigue.

Ramani says that speedy diagnosis is a key to successful treatment
and recommends that people who suspect they have been exposed to tick-
borne illnesses go to hospitals or see physicians with wide
experience in the field.

The commonly found tick, which many people refer to as a "wood tick,"
is actually the American dog tick. These ticks are reddish-brown in
color and have silver-gray markings on their backs. They are active
from spring to fall and while dog ticks do not carry Lyme disease
they may carry the bacterial infection called ehrlichiosis.

Ehrlichiosis is transmitted by the bite of deer and lone star ticks,
with the majority of known cases found in adults. People who spend
time outdoors in tick-infested areas from April until October are at
greatest risk for exposure. ehrlichiosis cannot be spread from person
to person.
Symptoms of ehrlichiosis include fever, severe headache, chills,
muscle aches, eye pain, nausea and vomiting. There is usually no
rash.
_________________________
Bryan Rosner

DISCLAIMER: Bryan Rosner is a journalist, not a healthcare provider or doctor.