As John Muir, a University of
Wisconsin-educated naturalist said, “Walk away quietly in any direction and
taste the freedom… Climb the mountains and get their good tidings, Nature's
peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow
their own freshness into you and the storms their energy...”
Unfortunately, something else may also
flow into you after walking quietly off into the woods. Tick season is upon us,
and they seem to pose an ever-increasing threat of disease. If you are an avid
outdoors person, you have probably already done your research about ticks and
Lyme disease, but I would like to share a few important reminders. Since my job
is to encourage people to get outside and enjoy nature, I want to make sure you
do it safely!
Wood ticks (more accurately known as
the American dog tick – Demacentor variablis) and the smaller blacklegged ticks – Ixodes scapularis (which are sometimes inaccurately called deer
ticks) both tend to hang out in tall grass and low shrubs, especially where
fields meet forests. This is not the only place they live, but it is where they
are most abundant. Therefore, you may want to avoid walking through tall grass.
Ticks do not fall on you from trees,
and they do not jump from vegetation. They simply hang on to the top of a blade
of grass with a couple of their eight legs, and wave the rest in the air so
they can grab whatever warm-blooded animal happens to pass by.
Deer, mice, other small mammals are
the primary sources of the blood necessary for the tick to develop from each
stage to the next in their complicated life cycle. Whom the young blacklegged
ticks feed on determines whether they become a carrier for the spirochete
bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, the
organism that causes Lyme disease. Larvae who feed on an infected host will
carry the bacterium as they molt into the nymph stage and begin looking for
their next meal in early summer. This is the stage mostly responsible for
infecting humans.
The ecology of blacklegged ticks,
their mammal hosts, and B. burgdorferi,
is extremely complex. Studies have shown that an increase in biodiversity can
significantly reduce the likelihood of humans becoming infected with Lyme
disease. As the diversity of small mammals increases in an area, it becomes
more likely that the ticks will feed on something other than deer mice or
chipmunks, the two best reservoirs for the bacteria. Some critters, like
opossums, actually end up eating most of their tick load during grooming!
Grooming is important for humans, too.
Wear light colored clothing and tuck your pants into your socks to help make
sure that you find and remove ticks quickly, before they have attached to you. As
you are walking behind your friend, scan their clothing for small moving dots.
You can also apply insect repellent with 20-30% DEET to shoes, socks and pants.
There is another chemical known as Permethrin, which reportedly kills ticks on
contact with treated clothing. Do a bit of research, then read and follow
directions to minimize the risks of chemicals. I personally prefer protective
clothing to protective chemicals.
If you do find a tick that has
attached to you, don’t panic! A blacklegged tick must be attached for 12-24
hours for the Lyme or related bacteria to be transmitted. Then, do NOT attempt
removal using nail polish, Vaseline, matches or other methods that may
traumatize the tick and cause it to regurgitate its gut contents. Yuck! Instead,
get a pair of tweezers with good tips, and grasp the tick on its head, as close
to your skin as possible. Pull it out slowly and firmly. If you get a little
chunk of skin, it means you got the whole tick!
Finally,
be aware of your health. If you know you have been bitten, watch the site for
signs of infection, or the characteristic bull’s-eye rash. The rash may appear
in only about half of Lyme infections, however. In any case, watch out for
symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and
swollen lymph nodes. If you suspect you may have Lyme or a similar tick-borne
disease, see your doctor as soon as possible! Early treatment usually results
in 100% recovery, but late-stage infections can have lasting health effects.
Tick-borne diseases have affected many
people in our Northern communities. Arming yourself with information is the
best defense. To learn more, join us for a lecture on the “Biology and Ecology
of Lyme Disease.” This free event takes place at the Cable Community Centre in
Cable, WI, at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 24. Dr. Paul Goellner, a retired family
practice physician from Spooner, was the first to recognize a cluster of cases
of Lyme disease in the northern Midwest more than 35 years ago. He will share
information about Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, and their role both in
your body and in nature. With a greater understanding you will be able to
protect yourself and reduce your fear of encountering ticks.
As
John Muir knew well, there are many health benefits to spending time in nature.
In my view, the health risks to NOT going outside far outweigh the risk of
disease from ticks. With a little care and vigilance, we can make sure that it
is only nature’s peace that infects us, and nothing else!
For
over 45 years, the Cable Natural History Museum has served to connect you to
the Northwoods. Come visit us in Cable, WI, at 13470 County Highway M. The
current exhibit, “Deer Camp: A Natural and Cultural History of White-tailed
Deer,” opened in May 2013 and will remain open until April, 2014.
Find
us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and
programs. Discover us on Facebook, or at our blogspot,
http://cablemuseumnaturalconnections.blogspot.com/.
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