![]() ![]() Quentin Tyler, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing, MI 48824. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer, committed to achieving excellence through a diverse workforce and inclusive culture that encourages all people to reach their full potential. OSU Entomology – 1991 Kenny Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210-1090 Deer Tick Ixodes scapularis adult on leaf Ixodes scapularis adult female Deer Tick Engorged Ixodes scapularis adult female Deer Tick Modified from the Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet Black-Legged Tick HYG-2147-98 by William F. Unfortunately, vaccines for people won’t be on the market for some time. Lyme is not usually a fatal disease, but can be debilitating, emotionally as well as physically. Lyme disease long-term effects can be arthritis, facial paralysis, meningitis, abnormal heartbeat, myocarditis, depression, memory loss, numbness, and impaired hearing and vision. Lyme disease has been called the ‘great imitator’ since blood tests do not always confirm Lyme disease or rule it out. Lyme disease symptoms resemble many other diseases, like spirochete-caused syphilis. The active months for human infection are May to August. ![]() ![]() Migratory birds may partially account for the spread of this disease since larval and nymphal black-legged ticks often feed on ground-feeding birds. Lyme disease is also found abroad in Germany and Scandinavia, as well as China, and Asia to Australia. About 10,000 human cases are diagnosed annually. These are Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Eight states have recorded the highest numbers of cases. The disease was first identified in Lyme, Connecticut in 1975 with the heaviest concentrations now recognized in the Northeast, upper Midwest, and along the northern West coast. They are commonly found in and near wooded areas. After engorging, they mate on or off the host and later lay eggs. Nymphs molt to the adult stage the same summer, and then crawl to a large mammal, most commonly white-tailed deer. It is this small nymphal stage that transmits the Lyme disease agent to humans. Nymphs attach to small to medium size animals (mice, dogs, raccoons, possums, gray squirrels) and humans. These larvae overwinter, then molt to an eight-legged nymphal stage. Eggs deposited in the spring hatch into six-legged larval ticks (most occur in late summer), which attach to small mammals (white-footed mouse, voles, chipmunks) or birds to obtain their first blood meal. The black-legged tick in the eastern United States is a three-host tick that has a two-year life cycle. Antibiotic therapy is most successful when treatments begin during early stages of the disease development. Less common symptoms include heart arrhythmia, weakness in legs, facial paralysis, and numbness. Subsequent symptom progression involves swelling and pain in the joints, especially the knees that can lead to chronic arthritis, sometimes a year after the bite. Early symptoms include flu-like chills, fever, headache, dizziness, fatigue, joint ache, and a stiff neck. The rash fades, with or without treatment, after a few weeks (not all infected people develop this rash). Lyme disease symptoms, caused by coiled spirochete bacteria ( Borrelia burgdorferi), develop within 3 to 32 days and include an initial reddish skin rash at the tick bite site, commonly expanding to many inches in diameter and appearing like a ring or bull’s-eye. The black-legged tick or deer tick, is the main vector of Lyme disease. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |