Evidence of new tick-borne illness

teabagger11

Well-Known Member
my vet tells me the chipmunks are carriers of the deer ticks,
the dog has had a few in the past month and she only goes out to use the bathroom and is treated with frontline
She was diagnosed with Lyme earlier this year already

between the deers and chipmunks I don't know which is my least favorite animal in the world...
field mice also are a bellwether for ticks the more mice the more ticks
 

2Julianas

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
No we need more opossum!! They eat ticks. So do chickens. I had a tick on my back after Waway, had bitten me but hadn't accessed any blood yet. It somehow got there under my shirt and my backpack. I'm petrified of all the diseases they have, and am going to invest in permethrin. Does anyone know whether picaridin is better/worse than DEET?
 

kdebello

Well-Known Member
pulled a tick off of my younger daughter last night. She was with me at the NICA race this weekend watching her sister race. Most likely where she picked it up. Sprayed with Deet when we got there. We checked both kids after the race, had them shower that night and checked them again. Last night, she felt something on her leg and sure enough, a tick. It was in there too. It wasn't engorged, but was sort of flat. Not sure how long it was attached, but Sunday to Tuesday and it was in her leg so we're a little worried. I got it out cleanly. Cleaned up the bite and calmed the kid down. Call to the Doc today to get the antibiotics started.
 

gtluke

The Moped
pulled a tick off of my younger daughter last night. She was with me at the NICA race this weekend watching her sister race. Most likely where she picked it up. Sprayed with Deet when we got there. We checked both kids after the race, had them shower that night and checked them again. Last night, she felt something on her leg and sure enough, a tick. It was in there too. It wasn't engorged, but was sort of flat. Not sure how long it was attached, but Sunday to Tuesday and it was in her leg so we're a little worried. I got it out cleanly. Cleaned up the bite and calmed the kid down. Call to the Doc today to get the antibiotics started.
Try and save the tick and ID it as a deer tick. Those antibiotics are a mother-F, I wouldn't take them unless I had to.
 

kdebello

Well-Known Member
we still have the tick. Fairly small but not as small as I thought it would be. I mostly see the larger wood ticks while working around the yard.
 

kdebello

Well-Known Member
do they still test ticks? Even if the tick carried Lyme, it doesn't mean it was transmitted. I'd rather not put the kid on any harsh meds if it can be avoided.
 

clarkenstein

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
do they still test ticks? Even if the tick carried Lyme, it doesn't mean it was transmitted. I'd rather not put the kid on any harsh meds if it can be avoided.

transmission usually occurs when the tick is backing out, not when its pulled... as far as tick testing places, i have no idea. i wood google.
 

rick81721

Lothar
do they still test ticks? Even if the tick carried Lyme, it doesn't mean it was transmitted. I'd rather not put the kid on any harsh meds if it can be avoided.

Antibiotics are safe, that's not the issue, its unecessary usage of antibiotics which is a major contributor to "superbug" prevalence and virulence. Its doubtful a doc would even suggest ABs unless you're sure it was a deer tick.

https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/protecting_yourself_family.html
 

Mr.Moto

Well-Known Member
do they still test ticks? Even if the tick carried Lyme, it doesn't mean it was transmitted. I'd rather not put the kid on any harsh meds if it can be avoided.

They just verify if it is a deer tick. No other testing is done. Depending on the doc, they may have you wait a few weeks and then do the Lyme test before prescribing anything. Others may just go straight into antibiotics if you push for it.
 

JimN

Captain Wildcat
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I had Lyme 13 years ago, so my info could be out of date, but I was told by an infectious disease specialist that the Lyme test was useless. He didn't even want to know the results. The test doesn't test for Lyme, it tests for antibodies that your body creates due to the Lyme. It can take weeks for your body to create the antibodies, so the test will almost surely be negative shortly after being bit. He also said some people don't create the antibodies, and that the antibodies can also be present due to other circumstances. Maybe the test is better now though.
 

Monkey Soup

Angry Wanker
I would wait a couple of weeks and verify Lyme before putting your kid on Doxycycline (the preferred drug for Lyme). Doxy is nasty stuff, if you take it on an empty stomach you, will feel like you're being poisoned to death, then puke your guts out. They can also develop photosensitivity. The test for Lyme has gotten more reliable, and Lyme is one of the few bacteria that haven't gotten resistant, so its easy to kill.
 

Monkey Soup

Angry Wanker
I would wait a couple of weeks and verify Lyme before putting your kid on Doxycycline (the preferred drug for Lyme). Doxy is nasty stuff, if you take it on an empty stomach you, will feel like you're being poisoned to death, then puke your guts out. They can also develop photosensitivity. The test for Lyme has gotten more reliable, and Lyme is one of the few bacteria that haven't gotten antibiotic resistant, so its easy to kill.
 
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