Lyme epidemic prompts bigger deer hunt: Craig Porter
- From: "CaliforniaLyme" <CaliforniaLyme@xxxxxx>
- Date: 16 May 2005 08:44:50 -0700
http://www.eastbayri.com/story/304816748791236.php
Thursday, September 2, 2004
e-mail this story | print it |
Lyme epidemic prompts bigger deer hunt
PRUDENCE ISLAND - An increased quota in this fall's deer hunt on
Prudence Island to 375 from last year's 325, plus an effort to include
more female deer in the hunt, reflect growing concern over a burgeoning
deer population and the three potentially deadly diseases spread over
the island by deer-borne ticks.
This was made public by officials of the island's Narragansett Bay
National Estuarine Research Preserve to a group of summer and
year-round residents who turned out Saturday to learn the results of a
detailed 2003-2004 survey of islanders' feelings about the deer herd
and the diseases.
Roger Greene, manager of the island preserve, and researcher Kenneth
Raposa, left no doubt that islanders want the deer herd reduced and
that their major concerns appear to be the threat of lyme disease,
babeseosis and erlicheosis. Other tick-borne diseases lurk over the
horizon.
Damage to the ecology of the island from an overpopulation of deer, and
an apparent drop in the herd's health due to lack of food, are also of
concern to a large majority of islandeers. The survey included all
property owners on the island and hunters from off the island.
Both men quoted Dr. Peter Krause and Dr. Samuel Telford, researchers
affiliated with Harvard University, as declaring that Prudence Island
"without exaggeration is among the worst places in the world for Lyme
disease." The direct cause, they said, is the size of the deer herd.
The survey showed that the most popular method of reducing the size of
the herd is increasing the number of female deer taken during hunting
season. Next in popularity is increasing the overall quota, and
expanding the hunting area. All three steps have been implemented this
year by the R.I. Division of Fish and Wildlife. Except for a brief
shotgun season for paraplegics, deer hunting is limited to bow and
arrow hunting.
For the first time hunting will be allowed on the so-called "Heritage
Property" which is located in the middle of the island north of
Broadway and west of the Army Road Trail. This land is part of the
estuarine preserve.
Mr. Raposa noted that nine years ago the deer quota for hunters was
increased, but that this was not maintained because of objections by
sightseers who enjoy watching the deer. The result was an immediate dip
in the size of the herd followed by booming growth in the following
years.
Islanders agree that the deer herd this year is the biggest ever,
following the foaling season earlier this summer. Outside estimates
indicate close to 1,000 deer on the 5.5 square-mile island. Deer are
giving birth later in the summer, an indicator that many young fawns
will go into winter underdeveloped and not ready to face winter
conditions. Lack of food due to overpopulation is given as the cause of
the slowed gestation cycle.
More deer, more tick bites
The increased deer herd has greatly increased the number of tick bites
islanders have received this summer.
Nancy Grady, a registered public health nurse, stated that Lyme disease
is epidemic on Prudence Island, and she called for serious efforts by
the town of Portsmouth and the state Deptartment of Health to deal with
the issue. Her full statement is printed below.
Several others voiced alarm that neither theR.I. Dept of Health nor the
Town of Portsmouth is active in the issue. Because of a conflict in
meeting schedules, no members of the Island Advisory Commission - an
arm of the Portsmouth Town Council - were able to be at the
presentation.
A ho-hum attitude by the R.I. Dept. of Health was indicated at
Saturday's meeting. Mr. Greene said that he had requested files on work
done on Lyme disease several years ago on the island by the health
department but was told that "the files were lost." He also noted that
he had been told the post in the department that once dealt with Lyme
disease had been abolished.
The medical profession in Rhode Island took a hit from some in the
audience for its apparent lack of knowledge and disinterest in
diagnosing Lyme disease, and for its inability to deal with
complications from the disease. Lyme disease, when untreated, can lead
to serious joint, neurological and heart damage.
Recent cases in which sick islanders met blind alleys in treatment were
discussed. It was brought out that babeseosis, which is more aggressive
than Lyme disease, has a strong foothold on the island. Erlichiosis,
also identified as being on the island, can be a rapidly fatal disease
if not recognized and treated by a physician in a timely fashion.
A bit of advice offered from the audience was that the most accurate
clinical blood test for tick-borne diseases is known as "Western bloc."
Robert Porter, whose nephew is suffering from complications of lyme
disease, noted that Mohegan Island in Maine was so infested with deer
ticks and related diseases, that the entire herd was taken off the
island. He presented records showing that ticks disappeared from the
island within two years after the last deer was taken off. Mr. Porter's
brother Craig is said to have died from complications due to Lyme
disease contracted on the island.
Another participant noted that during the 1930s and 40s, deer were a
rare sight on Prudence, but that it is not unusual now to see as many
as a dozen at a time and these are untroubled by passing cars, bicycles
and people. Each deer can carry thousands of ticks.
At the close of the meeting several people suggested the R.I. Dept. of
Health be called upon to conduct a public hearing on the island to
address the serious health issues involved.
2004 Deer hunt changes
1. Quota is increased to 375 deer.
2. More female deer will be taken.
3. Hunting will be allowed on "Heritage Property" for the first time.
.
- Prev by Date: Re: Who is "we?"..........Re: what it's like to be "chuck p adams"
- Next by Date: Chucky belongs to
- Previous by thread: James Loughran, 62 the autopsy stated the underlying cause of his cardiac arrest was Lyme disease
- Next by thread: Chucky belongs to
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
