Tick Mania Part I

I live in Maryland which is considered an area endemic for the ticks that carry Lyme disease.  Stories of Lyme are ubiquitous in Maryland and most people have some awareness of the disease, even if they haven’t personally experienced infection.

As a kid I grew up exploring the woods and fields around my house. It was blissful because I was unaware of any actual dangers in the wilderness beyond my imagination; nature was just a part of my life.  We didn't worry about ticks much except for the exciting and relatively rare encounter with a bloated gray dog tick. The big concern with tick bites back in the 70s / 80s was Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF).  A disease which sounded vaguely intriguing to me even though I knew from my Mom's anxiety level when she found a tick on us, that it must be bad news.  But the corkscrew shaped bacterium which causes Lyme is not actually carried by the dog tick, it is carried by the Ixodes scapularis tick, also known as the deer tick after one of its favorite hosts. The deer tick is a minuscule spider-like speck of a tick that is chilling just for the irony of its inconsequential presence.  And while this type of tick may not carry RMSF, it does carry Lyme and plenty of other co- infectious pathogens bearing Biblical sounding names like Babesia and Anaplasma.

I can clearly recall my first encounter with deer ticks---I was about ten, enjoying a run through tall grasses behind our house when I glanced down to discover miniature ticks all over my legs. I never again ran innocently through tall grasses after that. 
My next tick experience was in middle school, at my friend's house which was nestled in the woods. She pointed out that one of her cat's had creatures attached to its eyes. Indeed, horrifyingly tiny ticks were feeding off her oblivious cat's eyelids. I held my disgust and went home trying not to think about it. 

And I really didn't think about ticks much for the next 20 years or so until Lyme disease began to gain more publicity.  At first Lyme didn't seem too alarming.  An emerging but treatable malady marked by fever, joint pain, and a distinctive “bull's eye” rash.  I could handle that because it was readily identifiable by the trademark rash, and thankfully treatable.  However, over time a firestorm of controversy began to surround Lyme disease.  A controversy marked by conflicting viewpoints from two disparate organizations---Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) and International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS).  While the IDSA still holds the party line that Lyme is a relatively simple and highly treatable bacterial infection, ILADS paints a more harrowing portrait of the disease.  ILADS asserts that Lyme left untreated can become a chronic affliction with a myriad of debilitating, and sometimes deadly symptoms. Think of late stage syphilis in the 16^th century (syphilis, like Lyme is also caused by the corkscrew shaped bacteria known as spirochetes).  Furthermore, ILADS and other “Lyme literate” health care practitioners claim that the standard testing is inaccurate and that the rash only occurs in about 30% of those with Lyme.  Therefore, many with Lyme are misdiagnosed and left vulnerable to chronic infection.

Whether you subscribe to the IDSA or ILADS guidelines it is still prudent to educate yourself and remember the ticks are out there ---whether you are working in a springtime garden, sunbathing in the front yard, walking through fall leaves, or hiking through thick woods.  Early antibiotic treatment is considered to be the most effective way to eradicate the disease completely and if you know you had a tick bite then you can be prepared for action if any bizarre symptoms should manifest.

Living in a tick infested area does have possible health ramifications and I believe awareness, not excessive worry is the best policy.  However, I do admit that while I strive to remain composed in the presence of a tick, I have also fallen into a blind panic.  

***Stay tuned for my next post to find out how I calmly handle tick bites (my three year old has had four bites so far) and what sort of natural remedies can come in handy in case you also find yourself with a tick.