TICKS & LYME DISEASE: An outdoor enthusiast epidemic?

[Rmplstlskn]

Spring is in full swing and summer is almost here... Have several camp trips lined up with the family the next few months to Shenandoah Park and the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia (some coastal trips to for kayaking)...

But I just watched on Netflix, UNDER OUR SKIN, about how DEER TICKS and LYME DISEASE has become a HUGE issue the last few decades, and seems to be almost EPIDEMIC in many areas with high deer populations (like our area & camp areas), and that TREATMENT is a huge problem as well, with the LONG TERM issues of Lyme Disease really hammered home in this video...

Now my wife and daughter are SCARED to go camping... I even wondered a few times, while watching the sad stories of people infected, if a weekend camp trip was worth a lifetime of possible illness...

So I am wondering how serious you here take this and what, if anything, you doo to protect yourselves...

I know they say wear LONG pants and long-sleeve shirts, and seal them around the ankles, but a HOT SUMMER camp trip is miserable dressed like that... I gravitate to the shorts, keen sandals and nylon shirt myself, which is a TICK area blasphemy...

What say you?

Rmpl

[EX121]

Lot's of self checks frequently. Get them before they bite. I haven't tried the repellent that you put on your clothing, but one of my turkey hunting buddies swears by it.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Life is a gamble but staying home aint no way to go. Use repellent, like deet, and check each other. Watch for the obvious symptoms and dont gnore them. I would rather go out a fllame than a wisp of smoke. If something kills me like that, i say yes it was worth it. The sickness is the same at least I got it doing stuff rather than getting cancer or some other diesease staring at 4 walls. I've worn full military gear running around doing the gi joe and you still get them, common sense goes a long ways!

[monkeybird]

ihttp://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/index.html

This is a link to the CDC's surveillance data on Lyme disease in the U.S. Most cases are in the Northeastern part of the U.S. or in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
In 2009, 95% of Lyme disease cases were reported from only 12 states.

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5710a1.htm
At the end of this article is a chart that gives the rate of lyme diesase for each state. With information you can determine you own risk.

[Spock]

yeah well we have lyme's cousin down here. I got tagged by a nymph sized tick a couple of years ago and sure enough 2 and half weeks later a red nasty rash appeared. a week of docycyline took care of it.

[Rmplstlskn]

yeah well we have lyme's cousin down here. I got tagged by a nymph sized tick a couple of years ago and sure enough 2 and half weeks later a red nasty rash appeared. a week of docycyline took care of it.

I'm glad you were one of the MAJORITY that recovered well from antibiotics soon after infection... The video was about those who are unlucky enough to be the minority that have serious mental and physical ailments after infection, and how the medical and insurance community, due primarily for financial reasons, will not cover LONG TERM antibiotic treatments as they deny any long-term problems with Lyme's.

I checked my antibiotic meds and saw I did not have any doxycycline... So I ordered some vet stuff (identical pill to humans, drugs.com pill marking confirmed) to have in stock if ever bitten before access to a doctor, just in case...

Rmpl

[Rmplstlskn]

ihttp://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/index.html

This is a link to the CDC's surveillance data on Lyme disease in the U.S. Most cases are in the Northeastern part of the U.S. or in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
In 2009, 95% of Lyme disease cases were reported from only 12 states.

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5710a1.htm
At the end of this article is a chart that gives the rate of lyme diesase for each state. With information you can determine you own risk.

Thanks for that GREAT information... Virginia is listed as one of the 12 States and as others have told me, it is getting worse here and the infected deer ticks are spreading out our way. Still, it is in no way as bad as the New England States, but the BLUE TIDE (from CDC graphic) is moving down and spreading out...

Those New England States are SOLID BLUE! That is just unbelievable... Another reason to get out of those States. The video showed a neighborhood that had almost every home with someone infected with Lyme's... And a researcher, wrapped up in a white kyvek suit and green converse (???) shoes who dragged a white towel along a popular New England hiking path and within 30 feet had already picked up numerous females, males and a bunch of nymphs... He didn't have to go far... He would clear the towel, walk another 10 yards and the towel would have them all over it again... That is just INSANE!

Again, thanks for the info... It looks as if we need to start being more tick cautious here...

Rmpl

[Rmplstlskn]

Here is a message from a friend of mine who lives less than 100 miles from me, who got Lyme's last year and is still not "normal..."

HI Robert... ah yes I know the film but haven't watched all of it yet...just parts of it. I know all about the doctor thing...been there done that. And its true...they won't help. my daughter noticed a bullseye on my right arm...it was very noticable...I didn't know what it was and shrugged it off...I knew somthing was wrong with me because I had a hard time walking and didn't want to move really just sleep..Ken and I were at the campground and I just layed on the sofa..Ken begged me please let me take you to the hosp your scaring me... I said eh...just let me lay here lol I was out of it...I finially obliged and went to the emerg. It didn't take them long to figure it out as there were spotches red ones all over my body like I had broke out in hives or somthing... then they saw the one on my arm and knew what it was...they hooked me up to an IV and ran some tests...enough to tell me it was lyme..they gave me a perscription and sent me on my way. I followed up with one doc.. she gave me another round of doxcy....and told me she couldn't help me and then refered me to a internal disease specialist...he was the. Last one I went to told me that I had all of the dioxycycine that was allowed/treatnments..two perscriptions and thats it. I had a westernblot test twice once before and once after treatment... both times positive. I was so sick I thought I would die I couldn't get out of the bed for a month....not kidding...the aches and pains hard to discribe. After the second dose I was able to get around more. I was watching my grandson at the time which was a difficult task considering. I started the coloidial silver abt three months into being sick. I loaded up on all kinds of natural remidies/vitamins..and tons of Probiotics...etc. anything to upppp the imune system... and changing my eating habits as well to mostly greens nuts fruits and the like. So far I feel pretty good, I don't know if its left my blood yet? the tests cost some 700 dollars to take..so??? but like I said that last test I was positive. I can still hear that darn doctors response when..I asked the him..well if it comes back positive again...what treatments are we going to do? HE SAID>>>>>NOTHING...the man looked me in the face and said nothing...I asked twice as I couldn't believe what I had heard...but yup that movie is true...and what they say. so, what kind of tick was this... well I can't say I never saw it.. it bit me and left...I guess? I hear though that they are sooooo small you can hardly see them... those are the ones most dangerous...all are..but the small ones especially so. I think that it was end of April/May when I was bit. I believe that I got it when working out in my garden in my yard. There are always Tons of deer everywhere...so guess that area is bound to be loaded with them. My advice...before going out...all of you... spray...and spray each other... wash shower..scrub yourself immediately after working outside...using one of those scrubby washers... other than that.. there is no way to ward them off... taking coloidial I think helps... just to keep it in your system in your blood stream is a good thing...to protect against a myriad of things.

[Spock]

whats freaky is down south where I am from (SWFL) we don't have any where near the ticks they have up here in CFL. i think i tangled with 1 or 2 ticks in 30 years down there. here? man you can't go 2 feet into the bush without having 4 or 5 of them on you.

[Rmplstlskn]

whats freaky is down south where I am from (SWFL) we don't have any where near the ticks they have up here in CFL. i think i tangled with 1 or 2 ticks in 30 years down there. here? man you can't go 2 feet into the bush without having 4 or 5 of them on you.

I think it has to do with ENVIRONMENT and HOSTS... Not many deer in SWFL (lots of hogs) and it is wetter and swampier, where CFL has more larger deer and a drier environment. The ticks must really love those big New England deer all those lib-tard States restrict guns and hunting on, as well as the lush forests...

Rmpl

[LizardKing]

I didn't have any ticks in my yard in Cent FL until after the '04 hurricanes and then they appeared. After that I could never get rid of them, it got to the point where I thought about spraying the yard with gas and lighting it. I have read that nematodes or Guinea hens are a possible solution for the yard, but that still leaves the rest of the world.

[Spock]

I think it has to do with ENVIRONMENT and HOSTS... Not many deer in SWFL (lots of hogs) and it is wetter and swampier, where CFL has more larger deer and a drier environment. The ticks must really love those big New England deer all those lib-tard States restrict guns and hunting on, as well as the lush forests...

Rmpl

i pretty much figured that. the only place i see deer at is once every few months I see one or 2 on highway 17 just north of Arcadia. Here I saw one in the 1st two weeks right along the side of the road!!!

[Klayton]

Ticks have two primary enemies: chickens & fire ants.

So believe it or not, fire ants serve a purpose if you do not have chickens or you do not let your chickens free range...

I personally do not kill fire ants mounds if they are more than 50' from the house. But that may be because of this little house I am not allowed to have chickens, stupid city ordnance. (or is it ordinance-I always mix those two up)...

So solution for near house tick control: chickens
Backup solution: fire ants...

Just my two copper pieces...

[Matt In Oklahoma]

This might be a solution

http://www.gamehide.com/Articles.asp?ID=159

I havent tried it, just saw it watching a hunting show and am interested for sure

[onebigelf]

ihttp://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/index.html

This is a link to the CDC's surveillance data on Lyme disease in the U.S. Most cases are in the Northeastern part of the U.S. or in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
In 2009, 95% of Lyme disease cases were reported from only 12 states.

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5710a1.htm
At the end of this article is a chart that gives the rate of lyme diesase for each state. With information you can determine you own risk.

Not trustworthy data. North or South Carolina for instance the state government takes the official position that there is NO LYME DISEASE in the state.... and they prosecute doctors who test for it for doing un-necessary medical procedures.

Don't forget Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. I tested positive for the antibody for it earlier this spring, indicating that I had had it, probably within the year.

Basically, if you get bit, then within 2 weeks you get cold/flu symptoms, go see a doctor and let him know you had a tick bite. RMSF has a 30% fatality rate if not treated quickly.

John