Spring and early summer is tick time in Lake and Mendocino counties and with the ticks comes the threat of Lyme disease.
According to Robert Lane, a University of California biology professor of Entomological Sciences and one of the country”s leading experts on Lyme disease, Mendocino and Lake counties are the primary locations in the state that have Lyme disease-carrying ticks, especially Mendocino County.
Lane said only about 1 percent of the ticks found in California carry the Lyme disease bacteria. However, there are some areas in Mendocino County where the percentage goes up to as high as 10 percent. He said the primary areas where the tick infestation is the greatest is in what he calls “woodland leaf litter areas.” In these areas, the tick is normally spread by field mice. When a person walks through these areas or does other outdoor activities, the ticks grab onto your trouser leg and climbs up for a meal.
As an experiment, Lane took some of his students and dressed them in white coveralls so the ticks could be easily seen. He had them replicate hunters, wood gathers and hikers. The test was done at the University of California Hopland Field Station. According to Lane, sitting on a log resulted in seven ticks per hour crawling onto the students. Gathering wood resulted in an average of nearly three ticks per hour; and sitting against a tree (such as turkey hunters do) averaged slightly more than two ticks per hour.
Turkey hunters are especially vulnerable because they often sit for hours in one location. The female western black-legged tick is the species of tick that carries the Lyme disease bacteria in California. Both the adult and the immature ticks (called nymphs) can spread the disease. A human gets infected when the tick attaches itself to your body seeking a blood meal. The tick injects the bacteria into your body, which in turn infects you.
One area in Lake County that is loaded with ticks is the Highland Springs area south of Lakeport. A week ago I walked along the dam at Adobe Lake, which is only a couple of miles from Highland Springs. By the time I got back to my truck I found five ticks crawling on me.
The symptoms of Lyme disease vary widely. For many, the first stage of the disease is a slowly expanding, circular red rash known as the bull”s-eye. This can occur from three to 32 days after the bite. However, the bad news is that not everyone gets the rash. Other symptoms mimic flu-like symptoms such as headache, fever, chills and fatigue. If untreated the second stage of the disease comes weeks or months after the bite and can include neurological and heart problems as well as intermittent arthritis. The third stage can come months or even years later and includes severe arthritis and neurological complications.
I know of one individual who had Lyme disease that went untreated. Now he has to use crutches to walk and is in constant pain.
The good news is that Lyme disease can be stopped in its tracks if treated early. Common orally administered antibiotics usually cure Lyme Disease if given within the first few weeks of infection. If left untreated the antibiotics may have to be given intravenously.
Just because you”re bitten by a tick shouldn”t be a source of panic. In fact, I can guarantee if you spend much time in the woods you will find a tick attached to you. The first thing to do is carefully extract the tick. Lane said that if the tick is removed within 24 hours after you have been bitten the chances are that you won”t contract the disease. However, if you experience any of the Lyme disease symptoms, ask your doctor to put you on antibiotics.
There is also an anti-tick spray that is available. It”s called “Repel” and contains DEET, which repels ticks. Your can purchase Repel at the Kmart store in Lakeport. Just spray it on your pants legs, boots and outer clothing before going into the woods. In most cases it will keep the ticks off. You should also carefully check your entire body after returning from the woods. By the time you feel the itch of the tick it has probably been feeding on you for several days.
