LAKE COUNTY — the wetter than normal spring has resulted in an explosion of ticks in Lake County.
one Kelseyville resident reported recently he has been picking ticks off his body on a daily basis. He said that even a short walk through the grass where he lives results in ticks.
Ticks are the primary carriers of Lyme disease in California and Lake County.
If a person is bitten and gets infected and does not receive prompt treatment, it can have devastating consequences for a lifetime.
While the chances of catching Lyme disease are not high, people who frequent the woods in Lake and Mendocino counties are urged to be on the lookout for ticks that carry the bacteria.
Adult ticks will wait in on low-lying vegetation until they can grab onto a passing host. Immature ticks can be picked up by humans directly from the soil or leaf litter.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Lyme disease is a bacterial disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi.
the disease is spread by the bite of a tick. in California it’s the western black-legged tick that transmits the disease.
the tick bites an infected animal such as a mouse, bird, deer or lizard and then becomes a carrier of the disease.
the symptoms of Lyme disease varies.
Within one to two weeks of being infected, a person may have a “bull’s-eye” rash along with a fever, headache and muscle or joint pain. Some people have Lyme disease and do not have any early symptoms. other people have a fever and other flu-like symptoms without a rash. in its early stages Lyme disease can be effectively treated with antibiotics. However, if left untreated it can cause arthritic or neurological problems that will require extensive medical treatment.
After several days or weeks, the bacteria may spread throughout the body of an infected person. People infected with the disease experience a wide array of symptoms from arthritis to heart and neurological problems. there have been very few deaths caused by Lyme disease, however, the crippling effects of the disease can last a lifetime.
there is a blood test for Lyme disease and according to the CDC the test is about 80-85 percent reliable, however, it doesn’t always pick up the disease. It can also lay dormant in your body for years before becoming active.
the people most at risk for catching Lyme disease are hunters, hikers, campers or workers who spend a good deal of time in the woods. a controlled study done by world renown entomologist Robert S. Lane PHD of the University of California, Berkeley listed the five greatest risk behaviors for catching Lyme disease. the study consisted of researchers doing various tasks in the woods and the number of ticks were counted that attached themselves to the individuals. Sitting on a log drew most of the ticks. that was followed by gathering wood, sitting against a tree, walking through the woods and sitting in leaf piles.
According to Lane, only nymphs (Immature ticks) and adult female ticks can transmit the Lyme disease bacteria to humans. Lane says that it’s the nymphs, which are about the size of a poppy seed, that are most dangerous because they’re hard to see and difficult to remove.
Only a small percentage of ticks carry the Lyme disease bacteria. Studies have shown that in Lake and Mendocino counties less than 3 percent of the ticks are actual carriers.
the good news is that it normally takes at least 24 hours after a tick attaches itself to a human before the person is infected. If the tick is removed promptly the chance of getting Lyme disease is very low.
If a person is bitten by a tick the CDC advises that you remove the tick carefully to prevent breaking off the head.
the best method is to use a small set of tweezers. Grab the tick as close as possible to the head and pull straight out.
the symptoms of Lyme disease are a red bulls-eye rash that occurs at the location of the tick bite within a few days after being bitten.
other symptoms are headache, stiff neck, fever and flu-like symptoms. Sometimes there are no early symptoms at all.
in its early stages Lyme disease can be effectively treated with antibiotics. However, if left untreated it can cause arthritic or neurological problems that will require extensive treatment.
Most physicians automatically prescribe antibiotics when they see an infected tick bite or the family red bulls-eye.
Ticks can be repelled by applying a tick repellent to clothing. the most common repellents have the ingredient DEET.
Check your body carefully for several days after returning from the woods.
Ticks like to attach themselves in the groin area, underarms and other places where the skin is soft.