Lyme Disease PrimerCouch potatoes' not spared disease. Deer ticks and deer get much of the notoriety for Lyme disease information, but the real culprit is the white-footed mouse. “That's the one you find in your garage,” said Dr. Douglas C. Waite, an infectious disease specialist. “It is in the mouse that the Lyme disease bacterium lives. The deer tick transmits it to humans with a bite, and the deer is just the school bus that shuttles the ticks around from location to location.” An estimated 30 percent to 40 percent of deer ticks carry Lyme disease, Dr. Waite said at an informational program on Lyme disease last week in Dudley. He said an infected deer tick must be attached to a person 24 to 36 hours for the Lyme disease bacterium to be passed on. The bad news about the ticks is that only 20 percent of those bitten ever see a tick bite. “And we don't see many classic rings,” he said of the tell-tale bull's eye rash that distinguishes Lyme disease. “The good news is that it is treatable and curable”, he said. Dr. Waite said a Lyme disease vaccine is 75 percent to 80 percent effective, a better rate of success than the 50 percent to 60 percent for flu and pneumonia vaccines. Having had Lyme disease does not mean immunity: A person can get it more than once. Dr. Michael Mcguill, Massachusetts state public health veterinarian, said research is being done on bait traps that would brush white-footed mice with pesticide to kill ticks. However, they would only be useful in limited target areas. “We don't have any good way at this point other than behavioral techniques that would have people avoid ticks or remove them before they bite”, he said. Dr. Waite said that” being a couch potato is not a preventive measure. I've seen plenty of couch potatoes get Lyme disease. Their cats and dogs bring them (ticks) in.” There are few situations that intimidate parents more than the sight of a tick in their child's skin. Some go directly to the emergency room or pick up the phone to call the pediatrician. However, there's no need to panic. Removing the creature quickly, then cleaning the skin, should remove any fear of Lyme disease. If you live in Illinois, there is a very low risk of that tick carrying the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. In Illinois, only a very few cases of Lyme disease were reported in 2005, the most recent data available. If you see a tick in the skin, the best course of action is to remove it by gently pulling with a tweezers and then clean the area with an antiseptic. If small parts of the pincers remain in the skin, leave them alone. They will not cause disease. While it is recommended that you use a tweezers, if you remove the tick with your fingers, avoid touching the body of the tick and be sure to clean your hands with an antiseptic. |