Kemperman says,

“People who live in or near the edge of woods may be at risk of deer tick bites where their yard meets the woods. Reducing the amount of brush in their yard and forming a wood-chip boundary between their yard and the woods will help minimize their risk.”

“Anyone spending time in woods or brushy areas in Minnesota's high risk seasons (mid-May to mid-July and the fall) should wear insect repellent and perform frequent tick checks.”

Minnesota Department of Health on preventing tick borne diseases

Melissa Kemperman

Lyme disease’s re-emergence is partially due to human development of forested land. Much of the forest near people's homes consists of fragmented pieces of land between developed urban and suburban environments.

[Caption:]
Melissa Kemperman is a Vector-borne Disease Epidemiologist at the Minnesota Department of Health.

Talk Bubble:
"Deer ticks often seek hosts for their blood-meals at the edge between hardwood forests and grassy areas. Host animals such as mice or deer like to forage in this edge habitat, which also provides thick vegetation that protects the deer ticks.”

Melissa Kemperman

Fragmented forests create an opportunity for tick hosts

Mice and chipmunks are good reservoirs of Lyme disease bacteria. They are also generalists, and can adapt to changing environments while other animals have a harder time.

Some fragmented forests have fewer small mammals that are poor reservoirs for Lyme disease bacteria. A decrease in small mammal biodiversity can create opportunities for mice and chipmunks. It can also increase the likelihood that ticks will feed on good reservoirs.

Though deer don't transmit Lyme disease bacteria to ticks, deer play an important part in the tick’s life cycle. Deer feed on edge habitat. Smaller forests have more edge and often have more deer.

Fragmented forests are usually in developed urban and suburban environments. Their proximity to people increases the chance of people coming into contact with ticks.

While fragmentation can create an opportunity for ticks and tick hosts, this does not always correspond to an increase in infection rate. Increased infection depends on the ticks, on good reservoirs (like mice and chipmunks), and on people coming into contact with ticks.

read more about the ecology of Lyme disease.

Symptoms

For most people, the first sign of a Lyme infection is a bulls-eye shaped rash around the site of the bite, called Erythema Migrans. On dark-skinned people, this rash may look like a bruise. Flu-like symptoms, with fever and muscle/ joint pain often accompany the first stage of infection.

Lyme disease is often a "multi-system" illness. It can affect the skin, joints, brain and heart with many different symptoms. Over time, some symptoms may disappear while new ones appear.

Most cases of Lyme disease can be cured with antibiotics, especially if treatment begins early. Some patients whose Lyme disease progresses to later stages of disease have symptoms that last months or years after treatment.

Symptoms Images:

EM Rash: credit: NY Medical College

EM Rash: Credit:Patmas/ Lyme Disease Foundation

caption: The first sign of Lyme disease is usually a bulls-eye shaped rash around the site of the bite.

external link: stories of people'e experiences with Lyme disease

Lyme disease is a bacterial disease that is spread by the deer tick, also called the black-legged tick. Partially due to reforestation, which increased the population of the deer tick, Lyme disease re-emerged in the US in the 1970s. Today Lyme disease is the most wide spread vector-borne disease in the United States.

Lyme disease lifecycle
Symptoms
Ecology and Lyme disease
Prevention

According to the Minnesota Department of Health, there were 1,023 recorded cases of Lyme Disease in Minnesota in 2004. This number is more than double the 473 cases reported in 2003. The increase could be the result of mild winters that have allowed the deer and field mice that the deer ticks feed on to survive the winters in greater numbers.

Lyme disease is a potentially serious bacterial infection that can result in flu like symptoms and if untreated can lead to arthritis, nervous system problems and persistent fatigue. Antibiotic treatment is effective, especially if treatment is begun during the early stages.

The disease is spread when an infected deer tick attaches itself to a person. Not all deer ticks are infected with the bacteria, so not all deer ticks will transmit the disease. In order for the infection to be transferred from an infected deer tick to a person, the tick needs to be attached for at least 24 hours.

To protect yourself from contracting Lyme disease you should avoid tick habitats, if possible. If avoiding tick habitats is not possible, use a tick repellent containing DEET and wear light-colored clothes so you can more easily spot a deer tick on you. Check for ticks after being in their habitats and if you find a tick on you, remove it as soon as possible.

Tags : disease, lyme, mice, tick, vector borne, deer, Borrelia burgdorferi

read more... | add a comment | share