Lyme disease is a crippler if left untreated and anyone who walks in the woods, gathers firewood or hunts can catch the disease. Lake County residents are especially at risk of catching the disease.
Next week Lake County residents will have a chance to learn all about Lyme disease from one of the world”s foremost experts. Dr. Robert Lane, professor at the University of California Berkeley, has done extensive research on Lyme disease and will speak in an open forum starting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 19, at the Board of Supervisors Chambers at the Lake County Courthouse. Lane will discuss how you can catch Lyme disease, how it can be cured and what precautions to take when in the woods. The meeting is open to the public and is free.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Lyme disease is a bacterial disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi. The disease is spread by the bite of a tick. In California it”s the western black-legged tick that transmits the disease. The tick bites an infected animal such as a mouse, bird, deer or lizard and then becomes a carrier of the disease.
The symptoms of Lyme disease varies. Within one to two weeks of being infected, a person may have a “bull”s-eye” rash with fever, headache and muscle or joint pain. Some people have Lyme disease and do not have any early symptoms. Other people have a fever and other flu-like symptoms without a rash.
In its early stages Lyme disease can be effectively treated with antibiotics. However, if left untreated it can cause arthritic or neurological problems that will require extensive treatment.
After several days or weeks, the bacteria may spread throughout the body of an infected person. People infected with the disease experience a wide array of symptoms from arthritis to heart and neurological problems. There have been very few deaths caused by Lyme disease, however the crippling effects of the disease can last a lifetime.
There is a blood test for Lyme disease and according to the CDC the test is about 80-85 percent reliable; however it doesn”t always pick up the disease. It can also lay dormant in your body for years before becoming active.
People most at risk for catching Lyme disease are hunters, hikers, campers or workers who spend a good deal of time in the woods. A controlled study done by Dr. Lane listed the five greatest risk behaviors for catching Lyme disease. The study consisted of researchers doing various tasks in the woods and the number of ticks were counted that attached themselves to the individuals. Sitting on a log drew most of the ticks. That was followed by gathering wood, sitting against a tree, walking through the woods and sitting in leaf piles. Hunters are at a greater risk of contacting the disease because they may spend hours sitting against a tree, the theory being that the longer a person stays in one place the more ticks he/she will attract.
Only nymphs (immature ticks) and adult female ticks can transmit the Lyme disease bacteria to humans. It”s the nymphs, which are about the size of a poppy seed, that are most dangerous because they”re hard to see and difficult to remove.
Only a small percentage of ticks carry the Lyme disease bacteria. Studies have shown that in Lake and Mendocino counties less than three percent of the ticks are actual carriers.
The good news is that it normally takes at least 24 hours after a tick attaches itself to a human before the person is infected. If the tick is removed promptly the chance of getting Lyme disease is very low.
If a person is bitten by a tick the CDC advises that you remove the tick carefully to prevent breaking off the head. The best method is to use a small set of tweezers. Grab the tick as close as possible to the head and pull straight out.
If you suspect the tick may be a carrier of Lyme disease you can place the removed tick in a damp wad of cotton and take it to the Lake County Health Department. For a fee of $15 they will send the tick to the Mendocino County Public Health Laboratory for an analysis. Within five days you will receive a report if the tick was a Lyme disease carrier.
People with symptoms of Lyme disease should see their doctor as early as possible. When caught early, the disease is easily treated with antibiotics. Most physicians automatically prescribe antibiotics when they see an infected tick bite or the familiar red bulls eye.
Ticks can be repelled by applying a tick repellent to clothing. The most common repellents have the ingredient DEET. You should also check your body carefully for several days after returning from the woods. Ticks like to attach themselves in your groin, underarms and other places where the skin is soft.
Terry Knight can be reached at tknight3021@sbcglobal.net or by calling (707) 263-1699. Letters intended for publication that respond to Mr. Knight”s column can be sent to news@clearlakeobserver.com.
