Archive for the ‘Ticks’ Category

The War on Ticks: Time to Stop Lyme Disease

https://www.readersdigest.co.uk/health/health-conditions/the-war-on-ticks-time-to-stop-lyme-disease

The war on ticks: Time to stop Lyme disease

Lisa Fitterman

Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses are on the rise in Europe, yet authorities across the continent are woefully behind in addressing this serious health problem

One day seven years ago, Gitte Larsen woke up with a headache. It wouldn’t go away, not after a week, or a month, or a year, or two. The headache became the percussive accompaniment to her agonising journey through Denmark’s healthcare system and beyond.

At the time, she’d just turned 40, a tall, slim woman in the prime of life, a “futurist” whose work was predicting health trends. She lived with her husband and two daughters in a house in the forested countryside north of Copenhagen. At various times doctors diagnosed her with a host of conditions, from fibromyalgia to hypothyroidism.

As time went on, Gitte, now 47, became too weak to work. She and her husband moved the family to an apartment in Copenhagen to be closer to medical services. The couple exhausted their savings in the search for answers and a cure.

“Gitte tested positive to a host of Lyme-related conditions: arthritis, depression, debilitating fatigue, and headaches”

Then in 2015, as Gitte recounted her symptoms at a meeting for people who have metabolic issues, someone said it sounded like she had a variant of Lyme disease. Could it be? She knew Lyme disease was spread by ticks. But after walking her dog in the country, she’d always checked him, methodically running her fingers through his coat because ticks were so easy to miss. And she couldn’t remember ever getting the rash which looks like a bull’s eye. According to medical authorities, it’s the telltale sign of a tick bite containing the borrelia bacteria.

Gitte Larsen’s journey to diagnosis and treatment was long and arduous

Her Danish doctors insisted she didn’t have the condition. Desperate, in January 2016 she travelled to Augsburg, Germany, where Dr Armin Schwarzbach tested her at his clinic, which specialises in detecting tick-borne diseases. The test proved positive for a number of Lyme infections, including arthritis and neuroborreliosis, and Lyme-induced psychoses that included psychiatric conditions such as depression. Finally, Gitte knew what ailed her. (See link for article)

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**Comment**

Yet another example of the long-standing polarization within the medical community on tick-borne illnesses.

Here’s why:

Category:

Lyme, Ticks

Tick Time Bomb: Why Experts Predict High Tick Activity in 2021

https://www.prevention.com/health/a36558703/tick-time-bomb-summer-2021/

Experts Predict Summer 2021 Will Be a ‘Tick Time Bomb’—Here’s How to Stay Safe

“We are already seeing more ticks this season than last year.”
By Korin Miller

ticks

RBKOMARGETTY IMAGES
  • Experts predict summer 2021 will be a “tick time bomb.”
  • Due to a mild winter, most parts of the country are already seeing more ticks this season than last year, as the tiny insects thrive in humidity.
  • Here’s how to protect yourself from tick bites, which can lead to various illnesses including Lyme disease.

Every summer, we hear the same warning: It’s going to be a bad year for ticks. But entomologists (a.k.a. insect experts) say that 2021 could live up to that message. In fact, The Weather Channel even referred to this year as a “tick time bomb.”

Robert Lockwood, associate certified entomologist for Ehrlich Pest Control, says experts are already noticing a thriving tick population in 2021. “Due to the mild winters and climate change, we are already seeing more ticks this season than last year,” he says.

Why does a wet winter matter? Ticks thrive in humidity. As a result, “regions that experienced wetter and warmer winters will have higher tick populations this spring and summer,” says Ben Hottel, Ph.D., technical services manager for Orkin.  (See link for article)

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For more:

  • https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/11/07/ticks-on-the-move-due-to-migrating-birds-and-photoperiod-not-climate-change/
    • Climate-change researchers overlooked and did not take into account established populations of I. scapularis found in the late 1960’s in the upper Midwest, as well as at Manitoba in 1991, in their climate change model maps. The faulty climate change maps are devoid of any ticks in those areas – yet experience shows otherwise.
    • Climate change models overlook the fact that deer ticks were established in northwestern Ontario, southern Manitoba and were already in central Canada prior to 1970. What they predict to happen in the future has already happened in Canada. Their oversight caused a skewed rate of tick expansion and a miscalculation of northward projected movement.
    • Warmer winters are in fact lethal to I. scapularis(black-legged) ticks. In fact, overwinter survival dropped to 33% when the snow melted. This has been substantiated by other researchers as well.
    • The climate change model actually reflects migratory flight not warmer futuristic temperatures.
    • What is important to tick expansion is photoperiod, which is innate and can not be altered by climate.  Black-legged ticks require 14 hours of daylight to molt. If ticks can’t molt, they can’t move on to their next life-cycle.

      “The hypothesis that I. scapularis ticks will expand further north in the Prairie Provinces because of climate change is not only unscientific, but deceiving.”  John Scott, Independent tick researcher

More on tick prevention:

Category:

Activism, Ticks, Treatment

Study Shows Babesia Odocoilei is Pathogenic to Humans

https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/11/6/947

Detection of Babesia odocoilei in Humans with Babesiosis Symptoms

by John D. Scott1,*,Muhammad S. Sajid1,2, Emily L. Pascoe1 and Janet E. Foley1
 
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editors: Raphael B. Stricker and Raul Colodner
Diagnostics 2021, 11(6), 947; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11060947
Received: 21 March 2021 / Revised: 13 May 2021 / Accepted: 24 May 2021 / Published: 25 May 2021
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lyme Disease: Companion Diagnostics and Precision Medicine)

Abstract

Human babesiosis is a life-threatening infectious disease that causes societal and economic impact worldwide. Several species of Babesia cause babesiosis in terrestrial vertebrates, including humans. A one-day clinic was held in Ontario, Canada, to see if a red blood cell parasite, which is present in blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis, is present in humans. Based on PCR testing and DNA sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene, we unveiled B. odocoilei in two of 19 participants. DNA amplicons from these two patients are almost identical matches with the type strains of B. odocoilei in GenBank. In addition, the same two human subjects had the hallmark symptoms of human babesiosis, including night sweats, chills, fevers, and profound fatigue. Based on symptoms and molecular identification, we provide substantive evidence that B. odocoilei is pathogenic to humans. Dataset reveals that B. odocoilei serologically cross-reacts with Babesia duncani.
Clinicians must realize that there are more than two Babesia spp. in North America that cause human babesiosis. This discovery signifies the first report of B. odocoilei causing human babesiosis.
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**Comment**
 
Perfect example of how Lyme/MSIDS doesn’t fit into any box but perhaps Pandora’s.  
 
Strain diversity is a large reason why people aren’t being diagnosed.  You can only find what you specifically test for.  This study shows there are undoubtedly people struggling with Babesia symptoms that remain undiagnosed and therefore untreated due to the fact B. odocoilei isn’t believed to be pathogenic to humans and isn’t being tested for.  
 
Now we know for sure.
 
Earlier this year Scott et al. found 71% of black legged ticks were infected with Babesia odocoilei.  In 2019, Scott et al. also provided the first report of black legged ticks co-infected with BBsl and B.odocoilei in Canada, as well as transstadial passage (remains with the tick throughout its life-cycle) of this species of Babesia in ticks found in birds. They also found 3 members of the Bbsl complex (Borrelia lanai-like spirochete, Bbss, and a distinct strain that may represent a separate Bbsl genospecies).
 
Their latest study now has proven Babesia odocoilei infects humans.  

For more on Babesia:

 
 
 
 

Category:

Babesia, Lyme, research, Ticks

What Repels Ticks Naturally?

This article was originally published here but has been updated with new information.  

https://danielcameronmd.com/deet-and-natural-tick-repellents/

WHAT REPELS TICKS NATURALLY?

what repels ticks naturally

Ticks patiently hold on to blades of grass and shrubs in a position known as “questing” as they await their next meal or host. “Almost blind, ticks rely on chemosensation to identify and locate hosts for a successful blood meal,” write the authors of “Behavioral responses of Ixodes scapularis tick to natural products: development of novel repellents.”¹

By
 

As the number of tick-borne diseases grows and the geographical spread of ticks continues, there is an increasing interest in what repels ticks naturally and which products are effective and safe to use.

Little is known about exactly how ticks detect odors and what smells repel them. “Improving our understanding of tick olfactory mechanisms and odor driven behaviors is key to enabling development of new repellents,” writes Faraone, lead author of the study.

The study examines the effectiveness of natural repellents, particularly plant-based repellents, explains Faraone. “Plant-derived essential oils are natural products that exhibit insecticidal and repellent activities and represent a promising alternative to synthetic repellants.”

Lemongrass essential oil

When researching looked at what repels ticks naturally, the authors found that in behavioral bioassays “lemongrass essential oil and its main chemical constituents (such as geraniol, β-citronellol and citral), as well as PEA [phenethyl alcohol], were significantly repellent to I. scapularis nymphs.”

“The efficacy of lemongrass essential oil was dose-related,” the authors explain. It was “effective in repelling up to 76% of I. scapularis nymphs after 10 minutes when applied at the highest tested concentration.”

The substance was more effective at higher concentrations in repelling ticks. But, the effect declined after 2 hours from the first application to 62.5% compared to a DEET-based product of 87.7%.

The authors did not report on the repellent effects outside the lab. And given that the formulation was proprietary, its ingredients were not disclosed.

However, they found that “PEA- and geraniol-based formulas exerted an effective repellent action representing a valid natural alternative to synthetic repellents already available on the market.”

Oregano, rosemary, spearmint and thyme oils 

In another study, Soutar et al. also addressed the question: what repels ticks naturally? They treated blankets and trousers with either 5% oregano, rosemary, spearmint or thyme oils or 20% DEET. They found, “The number of ticks present on the blankets or trousers differed significantly between treatments.”²

“Significantly fewer ticks” were found on the blankets and trousers treated with spearmint oil and on the blankets treated with oregano oil.

“For ticks that did attach to the trousers, the rate of drop off within 3 min was significantly higher for trousers treated with spearmint oil or thyme oil than ethanol, oregano oil and rosemary oil,” the authors write.

They conclude, “The results suggest that 5% oregano and spearmint oils exhibit potential as natural clothing repellents, with an effective equivalence to 20% DEET.”

Oil of lemon eucalyptus

Investigators used the lone star tick to test the efficacy of 4 commonly used ingredients in repellents:  DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, and Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus.³  Repellency was tested after 3 and 6 hours.

They found that each repellent “significantly reduced” the number of tick engagements to fabric for at least 6 hours. There was not any significant difference in repellent efficacy between the 4 ingredients after 3 hours of application.

However, after 6 hours, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus repelled ticks more than the other ingredients.

DEET 

DEET (diethyltoluamide) is not a natural tick repellent but like lemongrass essential oil, the concentration of DEET also impacts its ability to repel ticks, as shown below:

  • 0% of DEET = 8.5% repelled
  • 5% of DEET = 16.6% repelled
  • 10% of DEET = 30.4% repelled
  • 20% of DEET = 68.9% repelled
  • 40% of DEET = 88% repelled

Interestingly, 0% DEET repelled 8.5% of ticks at 10 minutes. This is similar to the placebo effect.

The actual concentration of DEET from the manufacturer is 25% to 30%. The actual concentration on the skin for DEET or the proprietary products was not described in the study.

Most importantly, the study was completed on a paper filter. It remains to be seen how DEET or the natural-based products will work on people.

UPDATED: 5/24/2021

Related Articles:

Permethrin-treated clothing causes “hot foot” effect in ticks

When do ticks quest, waiting for the next meal?

Killing ticks through controlled burns

References:
  1. Faraone N, MacPherson S, Hillier NK. Behavioral responses of Ixodes scapularis tick to natural products: development of novel repellents. Exp Appl Acarol. 2019 Sep 28.
  2. Soutar O, Cohen F, Wall R. Essential oils as tick repellents on clothing. Exp Appl Acarol. 2019 Oct;79(2):209-219. doi: 10.1007/s10493-019-00422-z. Epub 2019 Oct 1. PMID: 31578646.
  3. Luker HA, Rodriguez S, Kandel Y, Vulcan J, Hansen IA. A novel Tick Carousel Assay for testing efficacy of repellents on Amblyomma americanum L. PeerJ. 2021;9:e11138. Published 2021 Apr 21. doi:10.7717/peerj.11138

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For more: 

Category:

Prevention, Ticks

Tick Research Lab of Pennsylvania Weekly Newsletter

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**Comment**

The continued advice to sit around and “watch for signs of infection” is not helping patients. ILADS recommends consideration of prophylactic treatment for ALL black legged tick bites with a minimum of 20 days of doxycycline.

It’s also important to remember that Lyme is just the tip of the spear and ticks transmit 19+ pathogens, some of which can be transmitted within minutes. Also, other types of ticks transmit disease as well and need to be considered.

For more:

Category:

Prevention, Ticks, Transmission