Find Us At The Union Fair
Author: Paula Jackson Jones
Orig Published: 08/18/2017
We
are preparing for a very busy week ahead, when we will be spending the entire
week at the Union Fair (Aug 19-26), educating fair goers about ticks in Maine,
the diseases that they carry and how prevention is key to staying tick-free.
This will be our third year at the Union Fair and we have a great corner booth
inside the Exhibition Hall. You can find
us there every day from 10a-4p.
We
enjoy engaging with the community and helping them to understand what is
happening in Maine and how to avoid having a tick encounter, thus lower the
fear factor and allowing them to enjoy being outdoors. We share our own
experiences and connections to resources to help those struggling find their
path back to health and wellness. We also network and grow with opportunities
to speak outside the fair.
We
still have some weeks left to the summer to play outdoors so as always, I
caution you to continue using repellent on your skin, treating your clothing or
purchase repellent-treated clothing, continue to take care of your pets, homes
and yards because the ticks are not going away just because summer’s end is
closing in. In fact, in 2016, we saw a jump in the number of new cases in the
fall because folks stopped using repellent and began having tick encounters
once again.
Here
is some information that we’ll be sharing with folks at the fair:
In
2016, Maine reported the following number of new cases: 1,485 Lyme Disease (confirmed and probable),
373 Anaplasmosis, 83 Babesiosis, 2 Borrelia Miyamotoi (a different strain of
Lyme), 6 Erlichiosis, 1 Powassan Virus and 3 Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
Fourteen
species of ticks found here in Maine: American Dog Tick, Bird Tick, Brown
Dog/Kennel Tick, Deer Tick, Lone Star Tick, Mouse Tick, Rabbit Tick, Seabird
Tick, Squirrel Tick, Winter/Moose Tick, Woodchuck Tick, Ixodes angustus, Ixodes
Dentatus and Ixodes gregsoni. However, not all ticks carry or transmit
tick-borne diseases to humans. But you
can’t tell by looking at them if they are carrying a disease or not, which is
why we advocate for testing the tick whenever possible. Tick testing
information can be found on our website and will be readily shared at the
fair. Knowing what you’ve been exposed
to lessens the delay in troubleshooting diagnosis and treatment.
We
will also be sharing information about our Community Partners at the fair.
These are businesses and individuals that partner with MLDSE to help promote
services or products to those affected by tick-borne disease or looking to
prevent. No matter the treatment path
(western/eastern/integrative) or service (such as home products and yard
treatments), we will be putting this information into the hands of folks who
stop by our booth. And if you can’t make it to the fair, find our Community
Partners listed on our website.
There
is something for everyone at our booth. Free resources to Maine medical
providers well educated in tick-borne disease, information about blood tests,
treatment options, tick testing, prevention and even education for medical
providers (with free ce credits).
So,
I invite you to stop by our booth, say Hi, grab some products and support the
cause. Raising awareness is the only way we’re going to combat the growing
number of new cases of not only Lyme disease but other tick-borne diseases on
the rise here in Maine ~ and it’s what we do best!
~ Paula
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