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A shot to prevent Lyme disease could be on its way

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Re: A shot to prevent Lyme disease could be on its way

#171

Post by fullstop »

jemurray wrote: post #75

I know this is about Lyme disease, but let me add another word of caution while we are discussing ticks. Two years ago I was bit by the Lone Star tick. Since that time I developed an allergy to all red meat. It was hard to diagnose and a few of the doctors I worked with along the years still don’t believe its true. If your interested in learning more search for Alpha Gal. There is an excellent Radio Lab podcast about…

I was bit by one of those about ten years ago, but no unusual effects thankfully.

Re: A shot to prevent Lyme disease could be on its way

#172

Post by pluc »

riedel wrote: post #109
spicybright wrote: post #23

As a US new england-er, this is game changer for walking through woods. For those un-informed, on a walk through any woods, you should always wear high socks, and do a full body check for ticks after. Deer ticks can be as small as a few grains of sand, and near undetectable if they latch on unless you have sharp eyes. Obviously they can transmit lymes. I had a close encounter a few years ago, but very luckily giant r…

Actually Lyme is a huge problem in southern Germany as well. Actually it seems that a lot of inflammatory joint problems stem from it that are often wrongly diagnosed.

and ticks in Germany are massive compared to the ones we get in North America.

Re: A shot to prevent Lyme disease could be on its way

#173

Post by [deleted] »

darkerside wrote: post #127
jacksonkmarley wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Being able to detect Borrelia Spirochetes is not equivalent to linking them with chronic symptoms.

Most CDC / IDSA folks will tell you that a course of antibiotics will rid the body of Lyme in all cases. The presence of spirochetes here should be enough for them to stop using that language. But it likely won't because there appears to be a systemic organizational bias against Lyme as a chronic condition, and I'm not sure why.

[deleted]

Re: A shot to prevent Lyme disease could be on its way

#174

Post by Spooky23 »

sva_ wrote: post #45
spicybright wrote: post #23

As a US new england-er, this is game changer for walking through woods. For those un-informed, on a walk through any woods, you should always wear high socks, and do a full body check for ticks after. Deer ticks can be as small as a few grains of sand, and near undetectable if they latch on unless you have sharp eyes. Obviously they can transmit lymes. I had a close encounter a few years ago, but very luckily giant r…

> That only happens in 30% of cases though. According to the CDC, its 70-80%[0]. [0] https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/signs_symptoms/index.html

I think the “on the ground” answer varies depending on you, where you are and what insects are around. 70% of deer tick bites may carry Lyme, but the percentage of insect bites with red rings that are Lyme is probably different. If you’re walking through northeast pine forest or low density suburban woods, assume Lyme!

Red rings from bites are not uncommon in general. I know I get a reaction from horse flies that looks to professionals like a potential deer tick bite with Lyme.

Re: A shot to prevent Lyme disease could be on its way

#175

Post by kortex »

mrfusion wrote: post #163
kortex wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My partner got a bullseye-inducing tick byte in our front yard in suburban upstate NY. Hardly little-traveled. The absolute quantity of deer is more important than the deer/human ratio. Lawns make it super easy for deer to migrate, human presence suppresses wolves and other predators, and mice love our trash, houses, bird feeders, and pet food.

I’d wonder though if deer use your front yard more than you? Especially in the pre dawn hours. Even if you garden you’re probably only out there a couple times a week? But you could be right that quantity of deer is more important. BTW have you considered guniea fowl? Or at least something like this might help. https://www.consumerreports.org/pest-control/bait-boxes-are-...

I am pretty they do, while I haven't seen them in my yard, they love my neighbor's ~1acre lawn abutting woods across the street. I see them hanging out there all hours of the day.

I actually just learned about guinea fowl elsewhere in this thread! Definitely will be looking into it.

I also started doing the permethrin soaked cotton balls in tubes. Mice collect the cotton for their nest and it kills ticks. Also our dog gets tick-killing meds and takes out a non-trivial amount just by collecting and killing them.

Re: A shot to prevent Lyme disease could be on its way

#176

Post by technothrasher »

giantg2 wrote: post #78
somehnacct3757 wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The deer themselves are a problem in the northeast. They are greatly overpopulated and eat the native understory, preventing the next generation of trees from growing past adolescence. As the existing trees slowly die, there will be none younger to replace them. This also clears out the competition to the benefit of non-native plants, which the deer don't eat. Some of these plants are invasive, such as japanese barbe…

The mice are the main component to the lyme lifecycle. There is a researcher working to give mice immunity using crispr. Generally, the deer are only overpopulating (at least to the extent you describe) in areas that aren't hunted, which also tend to be highly populated. It seems many people enjoy seeing the deer in their backyards and don't want their almost-pets to be killed, especially if it means it might have to…

> Generally, the deer are only overpopulating (at least to the extent you describe) in areas that aren't hunted

Central Massachusetts has a very active deer hunting community. I never have any trouble filling my freezer with free venison every fall. But the deer population is still four times the sustainable level as set by the state Wildlife dept and local conservation groups.

Hunting isn't necessarily enough to control the population.

Re: A shot to prevent Lyme disease could be on its way

#177

Post by [deleted] »

loceng wrote: post #159
bobo_legos wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Kris Kirstofferson was told by doctors that his memory loss was either Alzheimer's or Dementia. Another doctor finally decided to test him for lyme. Turns out he he probably got bitten by a tick shooting a movie 10 years prior to the positive test. https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/kris-kristofferson-an-o...

Huh, I wonder if my executive dysfunction in part could be Lyme disease. I was bitten 10+ years ago - had to pull it off, though it hadn't been there long as it hadn't latched on deeply yet - it did cause a small ring; I did get and take short course of antibiotics immediately after as far as I remember. I've heard common bloodwork done is very poor at detecting it but is there a better or sure way of detecting it?

[deleted]

Re: A shot to prevent Lyme disease could be on its way

#178

Post by ipqk »

spicybright wrote: post #23

As a US new england-er, this is game changer for walking through woods. For those un-informed, on a walk through any woods, you should always wear high socks, and do a full body check for ticks after. Deer ticks can be as small as a few grains of sand, and near undetectable if they latch on unless you have sharp eyes. Obviously they can transmit lymes. I had a close encounter a few years ago, but very luckily giant r…

For those of us with dark skin, the bullseye ring may be there but be imperceptible, making it even harder to diagnose.

Re: A shot to prevent Lyme disease could be on its way

#179

Post by rgrieselhuber »

voisin wrote: post #49
ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've pulled four of the little bastards off me, this summer (so far). They have gotten much worse, in the last few years (Long Island, NY). I also know a few (several) folks that have had very bad, life-changing debilitation, as a result of Lyme. I'm aware of one (that I never met), who died from complications of Lyme. I also have a family member, that got it pretty badly, recovered completely, and now seems to be im…

How are you getting checked? I understood (perhaps wrongly) that the blood tests are only accurate well beyond the window with which the medications are effective, creating a chicken and egg issue.

I've heard that Fry Labs is one of the only labs to do blood testing, but I haven't tried them myself:

https://frylabs.com/resources/lyme-disease-and-detection/

Re: A shot to prevent Lyme disease could be on its way

#180

Post by istjohn »

loceng wrote: post #159
bobo_legos wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Kris Kirstofferson was told by doctors that his memory loss was either Alzheimer's or Dementia. Another doctor finally decided to test him for lyme. Turns out he he probably got bitten by a tick shooting a movie 10 years prior to the positive test. https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/kris-kristofferson-an-o...

Huh, I wonder if my executive dysfunction in part could be Lyme disease. I was bitten 10+ years ago - had to pull it off, though it hadn't been there long as it hadn't latched on deeply yet - it did cause a small ring; I did get and take short course of antibiotics immediately after as far as I remember. I've heard common bloodwork done is very poor at detecting it but is there a better or sure way of detecting it?

The article states that Lyme disease is only transmitted if the tic latches on for over 36 hours. The bacteria is latent in the tic's gut until blood is ingested, at which point it takes 36 hours for the bacteria to multiply and migrate to the tic's salivary glands.
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