Zoonosis experts warn of tick-borne diseases
- From: "georgia" <jwissmille@xxxxxxx>
- Date: 9 Jul 2005 18:58:02 -0700
http://www.lufkindailynews.com/news/content/news/stories/2005/06/19/20050619LDNtick.html
http://tinyurl.com/7vod9
Zoonosis experts warn of tick-borne diseases
By CHRISTINE S. DIAMOND The Lufkin Daily News
Sunday, June 19, 2005
It is getting to be that time again -tick time, that is, according to
state
zoonosis experts.
Zoonosis refers to diseases, such as rabies or the West Nile virus,
that
people acquire from infected animals or insects. Ticks, in particular,
can
transmit Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, babesiosis (a
protozoa-induced infection with malaria-like symptoms), tularemia and
human
ehrlichiosis. Lyme disease is the most frequent tick-contracted disease
diagnosed in Texas, according to the Texas Department of State Health
Services.
There were 85 Texans diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2003, after 133
cases in
2002 and 74 in 2001, according to East Texas Zoonosis Director James
Wright
with the state health services department. Lyme disease occurs mainly
in
suburban areas where there's an overabundance of deer, according to a
U.S.
Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service press release.
The key to successfully treating any insect-bourne disease is quick
recognition of symptoms and medical attention. Many of these illnesses
are
treatable with antibiotics. However, failure to recognize symptoms or
have
them treated can be fatal, according to Glenna Teltow, a medical
entomologist with the state health department.
The state health department offers free testing of ticks that were
removed
from humans. Ticks removed from a person should be placed in a
leak-proof
vial filled with 70 percent ethyl or isopropyl alcohol.
To submit a tick for testing, download a copy of the tick submission
form
from the state health Web site, www.tdh.state.tx.us/zoonosis/forms, and
it with the tick to: Texas Department of State Health Services, Health
Service Region 7, attention: Zoonosis Control, 2408 S. 37th St.,
Temple, TX
76504.
Warmer weather means increased wildlife activity and contact with
people,
although ticks can be picked up by hikers and hunters year-round in
Texas.
Texas even has its own state tick -the lone star tick. Comparable to
the
size of watermelon seed, the female tick is recognizable by a white dot
on
her back and the male by white markings on the edge of its back,
according
to Teltow.
The lone star tick can transmit the bacterial diseases -Ehrlichia
chaffeensis, which has been observed in the southeastern United States
since
1987, and Lyme disease, which was first seen in Texas in 1984. The
blacklegged and western blacklegged tick carries human granulocytic
ehrlichiosis, first diagnosed in American patients in 1994. However,
human
cases of ehrlichia disease are diagnosed fewer than 10 times a year,
according to the state health department.
If you have been bitten by a tick, some disease-specific symptoms the
state
health department says to watch for include:
- Lyme disease - a bull's-eye rash, fatigue, headache, fever, stiff
neck and
joint pain within 7-14 days of tick contact. Untreated, Lyme disease
can
cause problems with the skin, joint, heart and nervous system.
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever - within 3-14 days of contact a high
fever,
headache, chills and muscle aches later followed by a rash.
"Prompt medical attention is extremely important because Rocky Mountain
spotted fever can be fatal without prompt treatment with antibiotics,"
stated a press release from the state.
- Tularemia - fever, an ulcer-type skin sore near the tick bite, and
painfully swollen lymph glands.
- Human ehrlichiosis - about 12 days after contact the sudden onset of
fever, chills and headache.
"Ticks often are found in the same spots people like to visit - wooded,
brushy and grassy areas," Teltow stated in an e-mail press release.
"Keep
ticks off pets and discourage unwanted animals such as rats, mice and
stray
dogs and cats around the home."
A few tricks to avoid ticks include staying on trails and avoiding
overgrown
areas with tall brush or grasses, wearing light-colored clothes that
allow
the dark ticks to be easily seen, and covering the skin with clothing
or
DEET to prevent exposure.
Pets should also be routinely checked for ticks.
If you find a tick, don't panic. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the
tick
at the skin surface and gently pull the tick straight out, avoiding any
twisting or jerking movements. Wash the exposed area with soap and
water.
Avoid touching the tick, as this too can result in infection. Sometimes
applying black draw-out ointment will help with stubbornly stuck ticks.
For more information on the Internet related to Texas ticks, go to
www.ticktexas.org.
Christine S. Diamond's e-mail address is cdiamond@xxxxxxxxxxxx
© 2005 Cox Texas Newspapers, L.P.
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