Tick Season Continues
Author: Paula Jackson Jones
Orig Published: 10/27/2017
As
October fades into November, I am getting asked questions about Maine’s tick
season and I feel strongly about sharing updated information, applying it to
what we are dealing with today and not repeating or advancing outdated
rhetoric.
Maine’s
tick season has historically always been defined by the lifecycle of the tick,
when the nymphs emerge and are the most active. Since 90% of all tickborne
diseases are spread by the nymphs, this is where the vast amount of our focus
has always been ~ Spring, Summer and Fall. However, if you are watching tv or
reading the newspapers or even surfing the web, you will see contrasting
information being shared. That is
because as October merges into November, we are still dealing with a tick
problem and this needs to be addressed so that prevention practices are being
promoted and we do not see a spike in the number of new tick-borne disease
cases.
Ticks thrive
in cool, moist weather. This is conducive to them finding their bloodmeal and
transmitting diseases. Many thought that the hot, dry summer killed off ticks,
when they just went deeper into the woods and hid under the leaf litter waiting
for the conditions to change. And change
they have! We have cool evenings and
damp mornings and falling leaves that keep ground conditions and woodsy areas
cool and moist. This is where we play in
the fall. With our harvest fairs, corn mazes and hayrides, not to mention those
walking trails throughout the beautiful ever-changing foliage lines.
I was
at a 3-day trade show recently with lots of outdoorsy people and this was a hot
topic. I gave a presentation on how we must continue wearing repellent, treating
our clothing and our pets as well as our yards to keep the ticks at bay until
the temperatures drop to below freezing.
That’s right ~ keep wearing repellent until we see 32 degrees or colder.
That’s because ticks will keep moving, keeping looking for their bloodmeals
until freezing temps come around. Then
they re-treat back into the woods, under the leaf litter and hibernate for the
winter. Yes, ticks hibernate for the winter. They have an enzyme like
anti-freeze that allows them to hibernate, not die off, all winter long until
the temperatures warm up and then they come back out, hungry and looking for
their next meal.
I wish
that I had better news for you. The best that I can do is keep reminding you
that prevention is the only way to lower your exposure to tick encounters and
by doing so, you reduce your risk of contracting the tick-borne diseases that
they are known to carry. In past weeks, I’ve shared about the rise of Lyme
Disease, Anaplasmosis and Babesia (a malaria-based tick-borne disease) that is
on the rise here in Maine.
Unfortunately, the deer ticks carry these diseases and more, including
Powassan Virus, and you are not able to tell by looking at the tick what, if
any, disease they are carrying. Anaplasmosis and Powassan can transmit in as
early as 15 minutes of a tick being attached.
In my personal case, the tick that bit me was on for less than 12 hours.
Many websites still state that the tick must be attached 24-36 hours in order
to contract Lyme however, if you delve deep enough, you’ll find where they
speak of other tick-borne diseases that transmit much earlier.
So, to
be on the safe side ~ continue with your prevention practices, do your tick
checks when you come in from spending time outdoors. Toss your clothing in the
dryer on high heat for 10minutes, then wash. The heat will dry out and kill any
ticks that may have come in on your clothing. Check your pets daily. Just
because you may treat them with an oral or topical product, nothing is 100%
effective.
If you
find a tick on yourself, use the proper removal method and save the tick. It
doesn’t matter whether the tick is alive or dead, whole or in pieces. Test the
tick! I say this to everyone I talk to.
The current blood tests for humans is only 35-40% reliable. Laboratories that test
ticks use Q-PCR testing which can detect as little as 3 molecules and is 99.99%
reliable. The University of Maine lab currently only tests for species but once
the new tick lab is completed (April 2018), we will be able to send ticks there
for disease testing as well. For now,
the proper removal techniques, where to send the tick to be tested and what to
do while you wait can be found here: Tick Testing
~ Paula
[Paula is the President of the MLDSE, the Maine-partner
of the national Lyme Disease Association, a member of Maine’s CDC Vector-borne
Workgroup and active in Maine’s Lyme legislation. You can reach her at
paula@mldse.org]
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