Saturday was the opening of the spring wild turkey season in Lake County. While the hunters were stalking the turkeys, a critter no larger than a poppy seed was stalking the hunters. It was the western black-legged tick. In fact, several hunters told me they found ticks on their bodies after returning from hunting this weekend.
For example, one hunter said he removed five ticks from his body after returning from a hunt on Saturday. That”s not unusual because the forests in Lake and Mendocino counties are loaded with ticks and many of them carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.
If you”re infected with Lyme disease and not treated, it can have devastating consequences the rest of your life. While the chances of catching Lyme disease are not high, people who frequent the woods in Lake and Mendocino counties are urged to be on the lookout for ticks that carry the bacteria.
With spring turkey season in full swing, hunters are the most susceptible to coming in contact with ticks although fishermen and hikers can also pick up ticks.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Lyme disease is a bacterial disease and 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 vary. Within one to two weeks of being infected, a person may develop a bull”s-eye rash accompanied by fever, headache and muscle or joint pain. Some people have Lyme disease and do not experience any early symptoms. Other people experience 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 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 that is about 80-85 percent reliable, according to the CDC. It doesn”t always pick up the disease, which 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 by medical entomologist Dr. Robert S. Lane of the University of California, Berkeley, 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 that attached themselves to the individuals recorded.
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.
Turkey hunters are at a greater risk of contacting the disease because they may spend hours sitting against a tree and in leaf piles, 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 3 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 remove promptly the chance of getting Lyme disease is very low.
If 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.
People with symptoms of Lyme disease should see their doctor as soon as possible. When caught early, the disease is easily treated with antibiotics. Most physicians are now aware of Lyme disease and will automatically prescribe antibiotics when they see an infected tick bite or detect the familiar red bull”s-eye rash
Applying a tick repellent to clothing can repel ticks. The most common repellents contain 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 area, underarms and other places where the skin is soft. Some of the more common areas are behind the ear, in the belly button and on your neck.
