Archive for the ‘Ehrlichiosis’ Category

Study Finds Q Fever & Rickettsia (Typhus) in Australian Ticks and People

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/30270855/

Ixodes holocyclus Tick-Transmitted Human Pathogens in North-Eastern New South Wales, Australia.

Graves SR, et al. Trop Med Infect Dis. 2016.

Abstract

A group of 14 persons who live in an area of Australia endemic for the Australian paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus, and who were involved in regularly collecting and handling these ticks, was examined for antibodies to tick-transmitted bacterial pathogens.

Five (36%) had antibodies to Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever and three (21%) had antibodies to spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae (Rickettsia spp). None had antibodies to Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, Orientia, or Borrelia (Lymedisease) suggesting that they had not been exposed to these bacteria.

A total of 149 I. holocyclus ticks were examined for the citrate synthase (gltA) gene of the SFG rickettsiae and the com1 gene of C. burnetii; 23 (15.4%) ticks were positive for Rickettsia spp. and 8 (5.6%) positive for Coxiella spp. Sequencing of fragments of the gltA gene and the 17 kDa antigen gene from a selection of the ticks showed 99% and 100% homology, respectively, to Rickettsia australis, the bacterium causing Queenslandtick typhus.

Thus, it appears that persons bitten by I. holocyclus in NE NSW, Australia have an approximate one in six risk of being infected with R. australis. Risks of Q fever were also high in this region but this may have been due to exposure by aerosol from the environment rather than by tick bite. A subset of 74 I. holocyclus ticks were further examined for DNA from Borrelia spp., Anaplasma spp. and Ehrlichia spp. but none was positive. Some of these recognised human bacterial pathogens associated with ticks may not be present in this Australian tick species from northeastern New South Wales.

_____________________

**Comments**

Folks in Australia have been fighting the denial of authorities for decades regarding Lyme Disease:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/08/21/our-battle-ongoing-lyme-disease-in-australia/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/11/03/ld-not-in-australia-here-we-go-again/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/03/aussie-widow-of-lyme-disease-victim-to-sue-nsw-health/  A SYDNEY woman launches a class action against NSW Health after autopsy results showed her husband was riddled with Lyme in his liver, heart, kidney, and lungs.  He was only 44 years old and was bitten by a tick while filming a TV show in Sydney.

Now how in the world did that happen?

While they still deny Lyme (borrelia) this recent study definitively shows a number of pathogens in Australian ticks and humans including Rickettsia (more commonly known as Tick & arthropod Typhus, Queensland typhus or Rickettsia australis), as well as Q Fever.

Tick Typhus is similar to Rocky Mountain spotted fever, but deemed not as severe.  Symptoms include:

  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Malaise
  • Bloodshot eyes
  • Red lump at tick bite site
  • Ulceration at tick bite site
  • Black scab at tick bite site
  • Enlarged local lymph nodes
  • Forearm red rash
  • Red body rash
  • Palm rash
  • Rash on soles of feet

Doxycycline is the front-line drug for typhus and broad-spectrum antibiotics aren’t helpful.

Fact sheet on typhus:  https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/factsheets/Factsheets/typhus.PDF  The perps are typically lice, fleas, mites, and ticks.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/08/19/monster-ticks-found-in-germany-threaten-europe-with-deadly-disease-crimean-congo-fever/  In this article, they found a tropical form of tick typhus in tropical ticks found in Germany. Typhus is making a comeback, particularly in the southern U.S. Migrating birds are transporting ticks as well as the diseases they carry worldwide 

Fact sheet on Q Fever: http://www.stopticks.org/ticks/qfever.asp

Caused by the bacteria Coxiella burnetii, it can cause pneumonia and hepatitis (liver inflammation) in its early stage, and infection of the heart valves (endocarditis) in its chronic stage.  Perps are the Brown Dog Tick (Rhipicephalus sanguine us), Rocky Mountain Wood Tick (Dermacentor andersoni), and the Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americium).

https://coloradoticks.org/tick-borne-diseases/q-fever/  This article states it’s usually a mild disease with flu-like symptoms but sometimes it can resurface years later.  This more deadly, chronic form, of Q fever can damage heart, liver, brain and lungs. C. burnetii is highly infectious. Humans that are susceptible to this disease can be infected by a single organism. It is considered a significant threat for bio warfare and is classified as a Category B agent of bioterrorism.

The severity and combination of signs and symptoms vary greatly. About half the people infected with Q fever will get sick. Symptoms include:

  • High fever (up to 105°F)
  • Fatigue
  • Severe headache
  • General malaise
  • Myalgia
  • Chills or sweats
  • Non-productive cough
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Abdominal pain
  • Chest pain

Doxycycline is also the front-line drug for this with quinolone antibiotics as an alternative.

Add the Ixodes holocyclus tick to this list as well.

And before you think it can only ever be in Australia, this article in the 2013 issue of the Australian Veterinary Journal shows the likelihood of a population of Ixodes holocyclus breeding outside their common range.  https://conference.ava.com.au/13097.

Well there goes the neighborhood.

Here’s a nifty chart:  https://www.lymedisease.org/lyme-basics/co-infections/other-co-infections/ (Please remember this is constantly changing)

Screen-Shot-2014-08-26-at-5.27.54-PM

If there’s one think I know for sure, it’s that nothing about ticks and the diseases they carry is sure.

They are finding tropical ticks in Germany (where they shouldn’t be) https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/08/19/monster-ticks-found-in-germany-threaten-europe-with-deadly-disease-crimean-congo-fever/ and they are finding Asian ticks in the U.S. (where they shouldn’t be) https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/03/1st-person-bitten-by-east-asian-longhorned-tick/.

When is the CDC going to get the memo and scrap the tick maps?

 

 

 

 

Category:

Anaplasmosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme, Q Fever, research, Rickettsia, Testing, Ticks

Ehrlichiosis Masquerading as Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia Purpura

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/30279260/

Ehrlichiosis masquerading as thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Chen D, et al. BMJ Case Rep. 2018.

Abstract

Ehrlichiosis is a rare tickborne illness that can manifest from an asymptomatic, self-limiting disease to a severe presentation with encephalopathy and renal failure. Ehrlichiosis is diagnosed largely based on patient history with confirmatory tests including peripheral blood smear, serology and PCR. Empiric treatment is warranted in patients with suspected tick bites as a delay in treatment can result in multiorgan failure. We discuss a case of ehrlichiosis that presented with the classic pentad of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). A history of a tick bite was elicited and intravenous doxycycline 100 mg two times a day was initiated. Tick panel results revealed a positive Ehrlichia chaffeensis IgG and IgM titres, consistent with human monocytic ehrlichiosis. Autoimmune workup and antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi were negative, and ADAMTS13 activity assay results were inconsistent with TTP. The patient completed 14 days of intravenous doxycycline and had an uneventful recovery.

PMID

30279260 [ – in process]

__________________________
**Comment**
Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP) causes tiny blood clots throughout your body.  This can block blood vessels and impede blood flow.  The clots can use up too many platelets which in turn can inhibit clot formation when you need it.
Symptoms include:
  • Purplish bruises (purpura) from no obvious cause
  • tiny red or purple spots that look like a rash
  • skin may turn yellowish (jaundice)
  • skin may look pale
  • fever
  • fatigue
  • confusion
  • weakness
  • headache
  • In very serious cases, a stroke, major internal bleeding, or a coma can occur
Warning!
In May 2017, an article in the CDC “Emerging Infectious Diseases” Journal, warns that ehrlichiosis infections are being “grossly underreported” in the U.S. with as many as 97-99% of infections going unrecognized. They are projecting that the actual number of annual cases could go as high as 1/2 the number of Lyme disease cases—which would mean we may already have over 150,000 cases of ehrlichiosis annually. (3)
Rickettsiae and Ehrlichia belong to a broad group of bacteria that can be spread by a tick bite. These infections can be transmitted alone or at the same time as Lyme disease and are commonly known as co-infections.

 

The Ehrlichia (E) group includes: (5, 6, 7, 8,)

  • chaffeensis: the cause of human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME)
  • ewingii
  • muris-like (EML)

Symptoms
While some cases of ehrlichiosis are mild, the disease can be severe or fatal if not treated correctly, even in previously healthy people. Severe symptoms of ehrlichiosis may include difficulty breathing, respiratory failure, bleeding disorders, kidney or heart failure.

Because Ehrlichia infect white blood cells (the cells that fight infection), and mitochondria (the powerhouse of the human cell) the consequences of untreated infection may have long-lasting effects.(9) I often wonder if undiagnosed Ehrlichiosis isn’t responsible for some portion of the millions of people with the mysterious illness known as “Myalgic Encephalomyelitis” or “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome”.

Other symptoms of ehrlichiosis can include:

  • Fever/chills and headache (majority of cases)
  • Fatigue/malaise (over two-thirds of cases)
  • Muscle/joint pain (25% – 50%)
  • Nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea (25% – 50%)
  • Cough (25% – 50%)
  • Confusion or brain fog (50% of children, less common in adults)
  • Lymphadenopathy (47% – 56% of children, less common in adults)
  • Red eyes (occasionally)
  • Rash (approximately 60% of children and 30% of adults)

Diagnosis And Treatment
Like other tick-borne diseases, diagnostic blood tests will frequently be false-negative during the first weeks of illness. And like other tick-borne diseases, treatment is most effective if started early. For this reason, healthcare providers must use their best clinical judgement and treat patients based upon early symptoms alone.

According to the CDC website: “The diagnosis of ehrlichiosis must be made based on clinical signs and symptoms, and can later be confirmed using specialized confirmatory laboratory tests. Treatment should never be delayed pending the receipt of laboratory test results, or be withheld on the basis of an initial negative laboratory result.”

The CDC goes on to say: “Doxycycline is the first line treatment for adults and children of all ages and should be initiated immediately whenever ehrlichiosis is suspected.” (10)

Patients who are treated early may recover quickly on outpatient medication, while those who experience a more severe illness may require intravenous antibiotics, prolonged hospitalization or intensive care.

Category:

Ehrlichiosis, research, Treatment

Lyme Carditis Presenting With Atrial Fibrillation

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/cric/2018/5265298/

Case Reports in Cardiology

Volume 2018, Article ID 5265298, 5 pages
https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/5265298

A Case of Lyme Carditis Presenting with Atrial Fibrillation

Peter J. Kennel,1 Melvin Parasram,2 Daniel Lu,3 Diane Zisa,1 Samuel Chung,1 Samuel Freedman,1 Katherine Knorr,1 Timothy Donahoe,1 Steven M. Markowitz,3 and Hadi Halazun3

Published 2 September 2018

Academic Editor: Kjell Nikus

Abstract

We report a case of a 20-year-old man who presented to our institution with a new arrhythmia on a routine EKG. Serial EKG tracings revealed various abnormal rhythms such as episodes of atrial fibrillation, profound first degree AV block, and type I second degree AV block. He was found to have positive serologies for Borrelia burgdorferi. After initiation of antibiotic therapy, the atrial arrhythmias and AV block resolved. Here, we present a case of Lyme carditis presenting with atrial fibrillation, a highly unusual presentation of Lyme carditis.

________________

**Comment**

Sigh….there it is again – “highly unusual presentation of Lyme carditis……”

Nothing about Lyme is rare.  It’s just not reported.  Please remember, most of these patients for the past 40 years have been told they are imagining their symptoms and, “it’s all in their head.”  Autopsies have rarely been done on these people and they have faced denial the entire time.

For more on heart-related symptoms with tick borne infections:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/09/17/lyme-carditis-heart-block-other-complications-of-ld/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/08/14/vermont-resident-dies-of-rare-lyme-disease-complication-that-isnt-rare/  Trust me, folks have been dying from this for a long time.  It’s just now beginning to make the radar.  If you have Lyme/MSIDS and heart issues, speak loudly about it.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/07/09/with-unexpected-death-autopsies-should-look-for-lyme-carditis/

Microbiologist Tom Greer has a fantastic article about how post-mortem work is one of the only ways we are going to get to the bottom of the Lyme Wars: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/04/13/chronic-lyme-post-mortem-study-needed-to-end-the-lyme-wars/
For information on preparing for brain and tissue donations upon death for Lyme research, please see: http://whatislyme.com/guidelines-for-brain-and-tissue-donations-for-lyme-patients/

Lyme, BTW, is NOT the only tick borne illness that can cause heart issues:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/02/20/babesia-and-heart-issues/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/06/03/heart-problems-tick-borne-disease/  (cases listed here)

Most common parasites causing carditis:

  • Borrelia burgdorferi
  • Ehrlichia species
  • Babesia species
  • Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas Disease)
  • Bartonella (My addition due to the following…..)
    (RESEARCH NEEDED. TONS OF PARASITES INVOLVED WITH TBD)

 

Category:

Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichiosis, Heart Issues, Lyme, research

Updates and News From Russell Labs – Wisconsin

http://labs.russell.wisc.edu/wisconsin-ticks/

Updates

August, 2018: Nymphal deer ticks are less abundant but still active in Wisconsin right now. About 20-25% of nymphs are infected with the Lyme spirochete. Overall, 2018 has been normal in terms of tick numbers.

Live in Wisconsin and want your tick identified?

NEW for 2018: Page over to check out the Tick App,  http://labs.russell.wisc.edu/wisconsin-ticks/the-tickapp/ our new tool for studying tick exposure and providing mobile information about ticks and tick-borne disease. More than 600 Wisconsinites have already participated in 2018.

NEW for 2018: We are starting a tick identification service. Identifying the stage and species of a tick are crucial to deciding whether to seek medical attention or not. Tick-borne diseases are only carried by certain ticks in specific regions. We can help you identify the tick you’ve found based on your images and geographical location. Use the following link to submit your photos and information:

 

Take a picture of ticks on your phone and go here:  https://uwmadison.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3s1wBopYCcW0lzT

Wisconsin ticks:  http://labs.russell.wisc.edu/wisconsin-ticks/

Go to link for pictures and information on each.  There are 4 ticks listed including the Lone Star Tick, which was until recently considered a Southern tick but is here as well.  Wisconsin had its first RMSF death, transmitted by the Lone Star Tick, recently:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/07/10/first-rmsf-death-in-wisconsin/

There is also a tab titled “Tick-Borne Diseases.”  Go to link to read about them.  They give WI stats as well.  Please remember ALL the numbers are low as many go unreported:

  • Lyme (Bb or Bm)
  • Borrelia miyamotoi (relapsing fever)
  • Anasplasmosis
  • Ehrlichia muris eauclairensis (EML)
  • Babesiosis
  • Powassan virus/deertick virus
  • Ehrlichia chaffeensis
  • Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

__________________

A few points stick out to me:

  1. Please take pictures of these ticks & send them in so we finally have an accurate record.  They are asking us for help so let’s give it.  It will only help us in the end.  Flood them with ticks!
  2. Baronella didn’t make the list, yet nearly everyone I work with has it.  WHY?  Because while Bart has been found in ticks, it hasn’t been proven conclusively they transmit.  Bart is a nasty, nasty bug and alone can kill you.  Coupled with Lyme it can make you want to die.
  3. For viruses, they only list Powassan when many more are on record including Heartland and Bourbon (unfortunately they aren’t mandatory to report).  They know Heartland is transmitted by the Lone Star tick but I couldn’t even find the tick supposedly responsible for Bourbon, although it’s a killer:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/07/01/one-tick-bite-could-put-you-at-risk-for-at-least-6-different-diseases/
  4. The lack of data is glaring.  Seriously.  Glaring.  Zika makes front page news here and our mosquitoes can’t even carry it.  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/03/13/wed-nite-the-lab-talk-on-mosquitoes-ticks-disease/  There were only 46 cases of Zika in the U.S. in 2018 – ALL due to travelers returning from affected areas.The CDC “estimates” that there are 300,000 NEW Lyme Disease cases annually in the U.S.  Anyone see a disparity here between Zika and Lyme?  (Other tick-borne diseases aren’t even on the radar yet)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Category:

Activism, Anaplasmosis, Babesia, Borrelia Miyamotoi (Relapsing Fever Group), Ehrlichiosis, Lyme, research, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Testing, Tickborne Relapsing Fever, Ticks, Viruses

Colorado Tick-Borne Disease Prevalence in Dogs

https://coloradoticks.org/for-physicians-and-patients/colorado-tick-borne-disease-prevalence-dogs/

Colorado Tick-Borne Disease Prevalence in Dogs

Colorado Tick-Borne Disease Awareness Association

PO Box 53
Poncha Springs, CO 81242

Email: info@coloradoticks.org
Facebook: Facebook.com/ColoradoTicks/

Help Support the COTBDAA with your tax deductible donation.

Category:

Activism, Anaplasmosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme, Prevention, Ticks

North Carolina: Ehrlichia Often Overlooked When Tick-borne Illness Suspected

http://outbreaknewstoday.com/north-carolina-ehrlichia-often-overlooked-tick-borne-illness-suspected-24872/

North Carolina: Ehrlichia often overlooked when tick-borne illness suspected

by Press Release
October 1, 2018

When a patient presents with signs and symptoms suspicious for a tick-borne illness, medical providers in central North Carolina regularly test for Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, but often don’t think about Ehrlichia, according to researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

North Carolina map/ National Atlas of the United States
North Carolina map/ National Atlas of the United States

The failure to test for Ehrlichia, even as more and more evidence suggests that the infection may be just as common as other endemic tick-borne diseases, appears to impact patient care with antibiotics prescribed less frequently when testing is not ordered. This study’s results and recommendation for increased provider education were recently published in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.

“Providers order Ehrlichia testing much less frequently than Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever or even Lyme disease, despite the low-incidence of Lyme disease in the state,” said Ross Boyce, M.D., M.Sc., the study’s lead author and a clinical instructor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the UNC School of Medicine. “This disparity may be attributable to unfamiliarity with local vector epidemiology, as well as the greater attention given to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme disease in the popular media.”

Ehrlichia is an illness caused by the Lone Star Tick, which is found throughout the mid-Atlantic United States. Symptoms typically include fever, headache and muscle aches. Boyce and colleagues performed a retrospective chart review on 194 patients who underwent testing for tick-borne illness at UNC hospitals and associated clinics between June and September 2016.

They found that nearly 80 percent of patients were tested for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and two-thirds were tested for Lyme disease. Yet providers ordered testing for Ehrlichia in only one-third of patients. Among the initial results

37 patients tested positive for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, nine tested positive for Ehrlichia, one tested positive for Lyme disease and,

Using leftover serum, Boyce and colleagues tested the 124 patient samples that were not initially tested for Ehrlichia. Twenty-five of those samples ultimately tested positive for Ehrlichia,

putting the total number of positive results nearly equal with the number of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever cases.

“Our results demonstrate that Ehrlichia accounted for a large proportion of reactive antibodies among a cohort of individuals with suspected tick-borne illness in Central North Carolina,” Boyce said. “These finding provide strong, albeit circumstantial evidence that Ehrlichia infection is as prevalent as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever even as providers appear to consider this diagnosis much less frequently than other tick-borne diseases.”

While the CDC guidelines recommend empirical antibiotic treatment when there is suspicion for tick-borne illness, Boyce and colleagues work suggests that providers are less likely to provide antibiotics if testing is not ordered. While it is difficult to distinguish an acute infection from a past exposure with a single test, the study estimates that failure to test for Ehrlichia may have resulted in a missed diagnosis in more than 10 percent of individuals.

Boyce said educating front-line providers in primary care clinics and emergency departments about the prevalence of this tick-borne illness is urgently needed.

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**Comment**

Great example of the importance of medical practitioners understanding clearly that ticks are infected with many pathogens that can and do infect humans causing disease.  They need to ditch the one pathogen, one drug paradigm completely or patients are not going to improve.

Please see:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/07/01/one-tick-bite-could-put-you-at-risk-for-at-least-6-different-diseases/

More on Ehrlichiosis:

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/07/24/oklahoma-ehrlichiosis-central/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/03/09/dogs-ehrlichiosis/

https://www.lymedisease.org/ehrlichiosis-tick-borne-disease-no-one-heard/

 

 

Category:

Activism, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme, research, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Testing, Ticks

Tickology Video Series – Everything You Want to Know About Ticks & Prevention

Entomologist Larry Dapsis, Deer Tick Project Coordinator, of Cape Cod Cooperative Extension presents information about numerous types of ticks and the diseases they carry in the following Tickology video series.

Tickology

 Approx. 9 Min

Tick Identification & Ecology

Take aways:

  1. Female American Dog Tick is easy to spot as she has a creamy white wide spot up by the head.
  2. Female Lone Star tick has a bright white spot in the center of her back.
  3. Female Deer Tick has a bright red abdomen.
  4. A lot of this info is shared again in part 3 below where I have more notes.

 Approx. 12:30 Min.

Tick Borne Diseases

Take aways:

  1. He considers the American Dog Tick more of a nuisance than a threat.  I disagree.  Just ask anyone who’s ever had RMSF or Tularemia, both of which can kill you.
  2. The Deer Tick (Black legged tick) is endemic in 80 countries and has been here for thousands of years.
  3. Lyme is found in 49 out of 50 states in the U.S. (absent only in Hawaii)
  4. In 2016 the CDC adjusted Lyme prevalence to 300,000 new cases of Lyme a year.
  5. Martha’s Vineyard has more cases than anywhere in the universe.
  6. Risk of infection is year round.
  7. Largest risk is from the nymph as they are smaller and the bite is difficult to detect.   He is finding about 25% to be infected with Lyme.  50% of adults are infected.
  8. In Massachusetts, children ages 5-9 have the highest rates of infection.  Adults aged 50-70 has a surge of infection as well.
  9. Babesiosis, similar to Malaria, can be passed via blood transfusion with 50% of Massachusetts cases found in the south eastern part of the state and virtually found in some degree in every county in the state.
  10. Anaplasmosis (HGA) can look similar to Lyme and is more broadly distributed in Mass.
  11. All these diseases are steadily increasing.  95% of cases are aged 65 and older.
  12. Borrelia miyamotoi, related to Lyme, is a relapsing fever.  3% of Cape Cod ticks have it but is expected to increase.
  13. Powassan can put you in the hospital with brain swelling.  They did surveillance and found Powassan in 4 out of 6 site sites with infection rates as high as 10% in the tick population.  In reading the literature, he feels it has been on Cape Cod for thousands of years but it hasn’t been on medical radar.

  Approx. 8 Min.

Lone Star Tick – The New Tick in Town

Part 3 of the Tickology video project.

Take aways:

  1. The Lone Star Tick, normally considered a Southern tick, is in Cape Cod, and has moved North, and yes, is in Wisconsin.
  2. The adult female has a white dot on her back
  3. These ticks can run and are aggressive, fast & will actually chase you.  
  4. While he mentions a warming climate, independent Canadian tick researcher, John Scott, states emphatically temperature has nothing to do with tick expansion:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/08/13/study-shows-lyme-not-propelled-by-climate-change/
  5. He claims Lone Star ticks have been established in Sandy Neck Beach Park and Shining Sea Bike Trail for a long time – it’s just nobody was looking for them.  I suspect this to be true for many other areas as well.
  6. He claims these areas are “perfect flyways” for migratory birds for transporting ticks.
  7. Lone Star ticks prefer intermediate size hosts.  He put out video surveillance and picked up wild turkeys in areas where these ticks were established.  Rabbits & coyotes are good hosts as well
  8. The adult female lays a cluster of 4,000-5,000 eggs,  which leaves a high concentration of larvae in late summer.  He claims when you find one, it could be a matter of minutes and you could have 200-300 bites.
  9. He claims Lone Star tick larvae do not transmit pathogens.
  10. The adults; however, can transmit Erlichiosis, STARI, Tularemia and Alpha Gal or meat allergy (all animal products).
  11. He claims you will not find deer ticks in an open lawn.  I was told otherwise by Susan Paskewitz, chair of the Department of Entomology at UW–Madison, whose crew is finding them in fields where kids are playing sports, and it’s here as well: https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2018/05/07/ticks-lyme-disease-cdc-putnam-county/
  12. He is finding Lone Star ticks in open spaces.  They don’t mind the heat.  Deer ticks will seek out leaf litter and/or snow when conditions are harsh.

 Approx. 13:22 Min

Permethrin Treated Clothing & Footwear

Take aways:

  1. Natural Pyrethrum is from the Aster Family, & is an extract from a type of chrysanthemum.  It has quick knockdown against insects but no residual control.  Breaks down in sunlight quickly.
  2. They manipulated it so now it has 4 weeks of residual control.
  3. You only use it on clothing and footwear.  He feels treating footwear to be crucial.  If a tick is on a treated surface with permethrin for 60 seconds it will die.  He feels strongly that using this product will reduce your exposure tick bites by upwards of 90%.  It is active thru 6 washings or 45 days which ever comes first.
  4. Pre-treated tick repellent clothing is also available.  EPA testing has shown it is active through 70 washings.  You can also send your clothing to “Insect Shield,” and they will treat your clothing and send it back with the 70 washing claim.  He says it’s about $10 per clothing item.
  5. It’s not the molecule that makes the poison, it’s the dosage.  As far as permethrin goes, there is low mammal toxicity except for cats.  It is 2,250 times more toxic to ticks than to humans.  According to the EPA, permethrin-treated clothing poses no harm to infants, children, pregnant women, or nursing mothers.
  6. Permethrin has low skin absorption and is metabolized quickly.
  7. National Research Council looked at long term exposure on the military wearing permethrin saturated clothing from head to foot for 18 hours a day for 10 years and found no reason for an adverse effect.
  8. The active ingredient is the same ingredient used for treating scabies and head lice and parents smear it on their kids from head to toe.
  9. He demonstrates how to apply it onto clothing and footwear.  Scroll to 10:00.  Make sure to wash these treated cloths away from other clothes.  Remember sunlight breaks it down so it lasts through 6 washings for 45 days, which ever comes first.
  10. He sprays the inside of the legs in case a tick gets underneath.  I tuck my pants into my white sprayed socks so ticks can not get inside.

 Approx. 6 Min

Skin Repellents

Take aways:

  1. The big distinction between repellents is the EPA registration.  Deet, Picaridan, IR 3535, and Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus have EPA registration with data on file for any claim being made.
  2. Go here for the EPA selection guide:  https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/find-repellent-right-you  (Fill in the questionnaire)
  3. Go to www.npic.orst.edu for pesticide information.
  4. Go to capecodextension.org for short factual answers on products.
  5. Naturals are not EPA registered so there is no data proving effectiveness.  Not all repel ticks.  Buyer beware.

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For more on tick prevention:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/05/11/tick-prevention-and-removal-2017/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/06/06/mc-bugg-z/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/05/27/study-conforms-permethrin-causes-ticks-to-drop-off-clothing/  “All tested tick species and life stages experienced the ‘hot-foot’ effect after coming into contact with permethrin-treated clothing,” Eisen said. 

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/04/03/fire-good-news-for-tick-reduction/  Study found a 78-98% reduction in ticks.
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0112174 These data indicate that regular prescribed burning is an effective tool for reducing tick populations and ultimately may reduce risk of tick-borne disease.

 

 

Category:

Activism, Alpha Gal Meat Allergy, Anaplasmosis, Babesia, Borrelia Miyamotoi (Relapsing Fever Group), Ehrlichiosis, Lyme, Prevention, research, Testing, Ticks, Tularemia, Uncategorized