Archive for the ‘Ticks’ Category

Tick-borne Virus: All You Need to Know About the Disease That Has Killed 7 in China

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/tick-borne-virus-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-disease-thats-killed-7-in-china/

Tick-borne virus: All you need to know about the disease that has killed 7 in China

Belonging to the Bunyavirus category, China isolated the pathogen of the virus first in 2011. First identified in China, the virus has also been reported in Japan and Korea.
AP

Beijing: A new tick-borne virus has killed seven and infected 60 others, Chinese media reported, warning about the imminent possibility of human-to-human transmission.

More than 37 people in East China‘s Jiangsu province contracted the SFTS Virus in the first half of year 2020. Later, 23 people were found infected in East China’s
Anhui province, Global Times quoted media reports. (See link for article)

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**Comment**
While the world is fixated on COVID, there are other viruses that are deadly, and SFTS is one of them.
Important points:
  1. Symptoms include fever, coughing, thrombocytopenia (low platelets), leukcytopenia (love white blood cells), neurological issues and gastrointestinal disorders.
  2. SFTS has a 30% fatality rate.
  3. The Asian Longhorned tick appears to be the culprit which is now spreading across the U.S. ,despite the weather, by migrating birds.
  4. They don’t know if human to human transmission occurs.
  5. Since this was first isolated in 2011 you would think we would have better answers for something that kills 30% of the people it infects….

For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/08/11/death-from-tick-borne-virus-sfts/  This article states the woman may have been infected by the bite from a cat.  If this is true, human to human transmission is highly probable.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/09/12/three-surprising-things-i-learned-about-asian-longhorned-ticks-the-tick-guy-tom-mather/  We need answers on this tick fast because they line up on a blade of grass like a cluster-bomb.  Brush against it and you have hundreds if not thousands of ticks on you all at once.
And while researchers are quick to report it transmits Lyme disease rarely, it’s still a possibility:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/10/26/researchers-conclude-asian-longhorned-tick-contributes-minimally-to-lyme-disease-in-the-u-s/
uninfected H. longicornis larvae could acquire B. burgdorferi s.s. while feeding on infected Mus musculus mice (infection prevalence >50% in freshly fed larvae) but that the infection was lost during the molt to the nymphal stage. None of 520 tested molted nymphs were found to be infected, indicating that transstadial passage of B. burgdorferi s.s. is absent or rare in H.
This tick should be a grave concern to all of us.

Category:

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ticks, Transmission, Viruses

Allegheny County’s Tick Collector Warns of Lyme Disease Risks

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/environment/2020/08/07/ticks-Lyme-disease-risks-Allegheny-County-blacklegged-tick/stories/

Leah Lamonte, vector control specialist for the Allegheny County Health Department, looks for blacklegged ticks in their nymph stage after dragging a cloth along a trail in Hartwood Acres on July 30, 2020, in Allison Park.

Allegheny County’s tick collector warns of Lyme disease risks

Pam Panchak / Post-Gazette
AUG 7, 2020

After dragging a swath of white cloth the size of a doormat through the forest duff along a shaded, onetime bridle trail now well used by walkers and joggers in Hartwood Acres county park, Leah Lamonte had her tweezers out.

Ms. Lamonte is the vector control program coordinator for the Allegheny County Health Department, and the specks she plucked from the “drag cloth” last week looked like smudges of finely ground black pepper. Except they were moving.

As she delicately grabbed each tiny crawling dot and dropped it into a clear plastic vial filled with alcohol, she explained that she was collecting ticks, especially blacklegged ticks, the kind that carry Lyme disease and pass it to thousands of Pennsylvanians every year.  (See link for article)

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**Comment**

Important takeaways:

  1. Lamonte states she’s finding ticks in every one of the city and county parks.
  2. She rightly assumes that every time she’s been in a park she’s been exposed to Lyme (if not other things as well).
  3. According to their results, 25% of nymphal deer ticks carry Lyme, while 50% of adults do. She states this is because adults have had two blood meals thereby increasing their risk.
  4. 4% carry Anaplasma
  5. 1% carry Babesia
  6. They repeat the mantra that a tick has to be attached for 36-48 hours when minimum attachment time has NEVER been determined.  I show here that within 4-6 hours a little girl couldn’t walk or talk after a tick bite:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/04/14/transmission-time-for-lymemsids-infection/  It’s also been shown that ticks partially feed, drop off, and then attach to a new host. These partial feeders are able to transmit much more quickly:  m.org/content/iai/61/6/2396.full.pdf  and a more recent 2019 article:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/04/26/three-strains-of-borrelia-other-pathogens-found-in-salivary-glands-of-ixodes-ticks-suggesting-quicker-transmission-time  This study was in castor bean ticks – still in the Ixodes family.
We really need to stop saying a tick has to be attached for hours and hours – giving people a false sense of security.

 

 

Category:

Lyme, research, Ticks, Transmission

Active Surveillance of Pathogens From Ticks Collected in New York Suburban Parks and Schoolyards

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32697888/

Abstract

Schoolyards and suburban parks are two environments where active tick surveillance may inform local management approaches. Even in a state such as New York with a robust active tick surveillance programme operated by the state Department of Health, these settings are not routinely covered. The goal of this study was to highlight the importance of active surveillance for tick-borne pathogens by describing their prevalence in ticks collected from schoolyards and suburban parks and to guide the use of integrated pest management in these settings. Tick dragging was performed in three regions of New York State: Long Island, the Lower Hudson Valley and the Capital Region. A total of 19 schoolyards and 32 parks were sampled. The location, habitat and weather at the time of tick collection were recorded. Ticks were speciated and tested for the presence of 17 pathogens with a novel application of nanoscale real-time PCR.

  • The causative agents of Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis and Powassan virus disease were all detected from Ixodes scapularis in various sites throughout the capital region and south-eastern counties of New York state.

 

  • The most common agent detected was Borrelia burgdorferi

 

  • coinfection rates were as high as 36%

 

  • This surveillance study also captured the first of the invasive Asian longhorned tick species,Haemaphysalis longicornis, in New York state (collected 2 June 2017).

Results from this study highlight the importance of collaborative efforts and data sharing for improvement of surveillance for tick-borne disease agents.

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**Comment**

This study doesn’t surprise me one bit.  New York is a hot-zone and it only follows that parks and schoolyards would be prime tick locations.  Here in Wisconsin, they’ve found ticks even in shortly cut grassy playing fields that school children use. They aren’t just in the shrubby and wooded areas commonly thought of.

It is imperative we get the word out.  By taking simple precautions you can make your children tough targets:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/04/12/tick-prevention-2019/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/07/20/ticks-lyme-disease-information-for-families/

You can purchase pre-treated socks from Wisconsin Lyme Network AND help by having part of the proceeds go toward Wisconsin doctor education for tick-borne illness:  https://wisconsinlymenetwork.z2systems.com/np/clients/wisconsinlymenetwork/giftstore.jsp  These socks make great stocking stuffers for Christmas.

Lastly, this study shows the importance of coinfection as 36% of ticks were infected with more than one pathogen.  ‘Authorities’ have not dealt with this crucial issue that’s affecting many patients and the need for them to rethink and revise their ‘guidelines’ that they’ve left virtually untouched for over 40 years. Treatment is far more complex than they are admitting to:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/category/lyme-disease-treatment/

 

 

 

 

 

Category:

research, Testing, Ticks

Horsham Area Mum’s Tick Bite Warning as Toddler Diagnosed With Lyme Disease

https://www.crawleyobserver.co.uk/health/horsham-area-mums-tick-bite-warning-toddler-diagnosed-lyme-disease

Horsham area mum’s tick bite warning as toddler diagnosed with Lyme disease

A Horsham area mum is urging people to be aware of the dangers of tick bites after her toddler caught Lyme disease.
By Sam Dixon-French
Wednesday, 5th August 2020, 4:23 pm
Lauren and Imogen AndersonLauren and Imogen Anderson

Lauren Anderson, of Broadbridge Heath, said her 22-month-old daughter Imogen was diagnosed with the illness after she was bitten twice by ticks.

The RSPCA worker, 35, said Imogen had a bull’s eye rash on her chest – which can be an early symptom of the disease – before developing a swollen knee.

Lauren added: “It just didn’t go down. You could tell she was in pain. She was waking up in the middle of the night and saying ‘ow, ow’.”  (See link for article)

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BTW: Here is the first recorded case of Babesia & the second reported case of TBE in England:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/08/04/babesia-and-tick-borne-encephalitis-diagnosed-in-england/

Category:

Lyme, Ticks

FREE: Lyme Disease Resource – Printable Factsheet

https://caudwelllyme.com/2020/07/15/caudwell-lymeco-kidunk-launch-the-tick-detectives-initiative/

Caudwell LymeCo & Kidunk launch the Tick Detectives Initiative

Posted on by Caudwell LymeCo Charity

As the UK navigates its way out of some of the restrictions related to COVID-19, there has been a huge surge in the popularity of outdoor summer schools, forest schools and activity programmes planned for the summer months.

In response to this growth of young children and families spending more time outdoors, we’ve been working with our partner, UK award-winning kids clothing brand Kidunk to produce a fun new resource to help children, parents, carers and teachers be better prepared and better aware of Lyme disease.

The Tick Detectives resource

Our factsheet has been designed with input from children so it can appeal to a young audience.

We have tried to deliver the key facts around Lyme disease in a no-nonsense language using engaging colours and imagery that would appeal to a younger audience, but with factual content of use to parents and practitioners.

The ‘Tick Detectives’ fact sheet is available to download from both the Caudwell LymeCo and Kidunk websites.  It will also be sent digitally to over 10,000 nursery settings, carers and parents over the coming weeks.

Ultimately, it’s intended the resource will be printed and provided free to schools and outdoor centres across the UK.

This awareness campaign is part of the partnership between Caudwell LymeCo and Kidunk, launched in May of this year. Given our concern around the potential increase in cases of Lyme due to more socialising outside, we want to work with forest schools and nurseries to empower children and parents with knowledge and understanding of Lyme disease in a fun and creative way.

Kidunk’s fab partnerships and contacts allow us to do this and we’re very grateful to have the support. The resource already has the support of forest school practitioners, and we hope it goes some way into educating young people about ticks and how to keep safe.

Pam Houghton, owner of High Meadow Nursery, Lancashire, and Level 3 Forest School Nursery Practitioner said: ‘Children’s safety is of paramount importance to us and this fantastic resource has been shared with parents and staff who have passed on to others with an interest in outdoor activities and learning’.

Download for FREE here

Please feel free to download via the image below, share, and give us your feedback at lymecocharity@caudwell.com.

The resource is also suitable for Beavers, Cubs, and other school age groups.

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Ticks